EVERYTHING YOU COULD WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE OCEAN – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)

Ocean Facts

BASIC DEFINITIONS

Aquifer 

• An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock, rock fractures or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt) from which groundwater can be extracted using a water well.   The upper Floridan aquifer is the principal source of water supply in most of north and central Florida.

Coastal Clean Up

• Marine debris (trash) is a worldwide problem; an estimated 14 billion pounds of trash are dumped in the ocean yearly. Marine debris is not only ugly, but dangerous to marine life and human health. Since many forms of debris are not biodegradable, they can cause problems for years to come.

Invasive Plant Removal

• Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), also known as the Florida holly, was introduced to Florida in 1898 from its native habitat in Brazil. Since its introduction a little over a century ago, the Brazilian pepper tree has taken over more than 700,000 acres of land in Florida.

Ocean Acidification

• Ocean Acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. An estimated 30 – 40% of the carbon dioxide released by humans into the atmosphere dissolves into oceans, rivers and lakes.

Oyster Dome and Bars

• Reef Balls, aka “oyster domes” help replace oyster habitat in areas where it has be lost.

Salt Marsh and Sea Grass Planting 

• Sea grasses are flowering plants that live underwater and are mostly found in protected bays and lagoons. They are limited in their depth by water clarity because they require light and they also produce oxygen, similar to plants on the land.