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Friday, January 18, 2008

What are guyots?


What are guyots?

Undersea volcanoes have several stages of growth. Debris fro frequent eruptions throughout the stages of growth build an undersea volcano up, so that it rises above sea level. Gradually, the explosive eruptions grow less frequent and the volcano becomes dormant. Eventually, erosion breaks the volcano down into flat topped seamounts, ringed by coral reefs. These seamounts are known as guyots and are found mainly in the Pacific Ocean and in the islands of Hawaii.

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What are giant tube worms?



What are giant tube worms?


Giant tube worms are huge worms that live in hydrothermal vents or openings on the ocean floor, though which hot spring water and minerals flow out. The worm lives inside a tube which is attached to a hard surface like a rock. The tube is made of a hard substance which protects the worm from predators and the poisonous chemicals of the vent. Tube worms have bright red plumes which they withdraw into the tube when an enemy appears. Since they live mainly on the ocean floor, you are unlikely to see one though!

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What are crustaceans?


What are crustaceans?

Crustaceans are a group of animals that have a skeleton on the outside of their body. Their hard skeletons are made from calcium. They are invertebrates, meaning they have no backbone and belong to the group called anthropods, which have jointed legs and segmented bodies. Crabs, shrimps, lobsters and barnacles are crustaceans.

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What are Continental Islands?


What are Continental Islands?

Some islands were formed when parts of continents were cut off from the main land by the sea. These islands which lie near the continents are called Continental Islands. Did you know that Great Britain and Ireland were once part of mainland Europe? Later, when the sea level rose the rising waters first cut off Ireland from Great Britain. Later, Great Britain was cut off from Europe. So Great Britain and Ireland are good examples of Continental Islands.

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What are buoys?


What are buoys?

Buoys are coloured metal floats which are anchored to the sea bed. Their purpose is to warn ships of dangers like rocks, sandbanks or wrecks and to mark out channels for the ships to sail.

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What are Asteroids?


What are Asteroids?

Asteroids are large pieces of rock and metal. The first asteroid was spotted in 1801, by an Italian astronomer named Piazzi. He found an object in space which he believed was a very small planet and named it Ceres. Since then many similar objects called asteroids have been discovered. Most of the asteroids have been discovered. Most of the asteroids orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, in an area called the Asteroid Belt

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What animals live on the seashore?


What animals live on the seashore?

There are different kinds of seashores, and each kind has its own animals living on it. Razor-shells and cockles live under the sand, while sea anemones live on the rocks. You will find many wonderful animals in the shallow water near the coast, as well as on beaches and rocky shores. Some, like barnacles cling to the rocks. Others like the blenny hide in the crevices in the rocks. Squids swim in the water near the shore, while sea anemones, limpets, crabs and star fish can be found in rock pools at low tide.

Birds like the tern and sea gulls can also be seen flying above beaches, and filling the air with their cries. So, on you next visit to the sea shore, be sure to look out for some of these animals!

Small fish and starfish are brought in by the tide. If you dig a hole in sandy beaches you may be surprised to find animals living under the sand. There will be worms, crabs and shellfish and they come out to feed when the tide comes in. other than a few tiny creatures, you will not find many animals living on a shore covered with pebbles. Pebbles roll when the waves come in and this makes it difficult for them to hide for protection.

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What is scuba diving?


What is scuba diving?

Scuba diving is diving under water with the aid of scuba, the equipment for under water breathing. This is done for under water explorations. Today, scuba diving is a major water sport.

Resource website : www.scubadiving.com

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Is there light under the sea?


Is there light under the sea?

Sunlight can penetrate only the shallow surface water of the sea. After 10 metres, the light starts getting dimmer. The deeper you go the darker and colder it gets. After 1000 metres, it is pitch dark and at 4000 metres, it is as cold as the inside of a refrigerator!

Is the starfish actually a fish?


Is the starfish actually a fish?


Fish belong to the family of animals called vertebrates, which have backbones. The starfish does not have a backbone. So in fact it is not a fish!

Is the sea level rising?


Is the sea level rising?

As the temperature throughout the world rises because of global warming caused by the Greenhouse Effect, the ice cap and mountain glaciers start to melt. The melting water causes the sea level to rise by as much as 1 to 2 mm per year.

Is the sea bed flat?


Is the sea bed flat?

About half of the sea bed is very flat and made up of huge smooth plains. But the other half is made up of high mountains, deep valleys, and undersea volcanoes. So you see, the sea bed is very much like the land around us…..only it is underwater!

Is the porpoise a mammal?


Is the porpoise a mammal?

A porpoise looks like a fish, but is really a mammal. They are actually a type of dolphin, and belong to the same family as dolphins and whales. The porpoise is a warm blooded animal. And has a layer of fatty blubber, to keep it warm in chilly seas. Its babies are born alive and not hatched from eggs, and drink their mother’s milk. So you see, in this respect, porpoises are just like humans and other mammals.

Is the colour of the sea the same everywhere?


Is the colour of the sea the same everywhere?

Though we always think of the sea as being blue in colour, the water of the Red Sea has a slight reddish tinge to it, because of the algae that lives in this sea. This algae clouds and muddies the blue water.

The Black Sea contains a lot of hydrogen sulphide, which gives the water a blackish tinge. Being further north than the Mediterranean Sea and much less salty, it also contains more micro algae, which makes its deep waters very dark.

Is the Arctic too cold for animals?


Is the Arctic too cold for animals?

Though the Arctic Ocean is icy cold, many animals have made it their home. Giant whales live in the sea, and polar bears roam across the vast expanses of ice, hunting for seals. When summer comes, Arctic terns and other birds com visiting too!

Is it true that mammals that lived on the earth migrated to the sea?


Is it true that mammals that lived on the earth migrated to the sea?

It is true that a few mammals that once lived on land returned to the sea. Some went back to the sea in search of food. Others fled into the sea to escape their enemies. Some of their names like sea otter, sea cow or sea lion are names of animals found on land, with the word “sea” added, to show that these animals now live in the sea.

How were the oceans and seas formed?


How were the oceans and seas formed?

Have you ever stood on a beach and wondered where all the water in the ocean or sea came from? Well, oceans and seas were formed long, long ago, before there were any animals or people on earth. The earth was made up of red hot rocks then and when the rocks cooled, they gave off steam. This steam became rain, which fell and filled up the hollows and deep holes in the earth’s surface. The water that was collected in this way became the seas and oceans. The high parts of the earth remained as dry land.

How old is the Earth?


How old is the Earth?

It was about 15 billion years ago, when the Universe began to form. The Earth was formed much later, about 4.5 billion years ago. We have come to know of this by studying rocks in meteorites, which landed on Earth from outer space. Meteorites are lumps of rocks which were formed at the same time as the Earth. The Earth's age has also been calculated from the rate at which elements of the radioactive metal uranium decay into lead.

How often do tides happen?


How often do tides happen?

Twice a day, on most coasts, the tide creeps up the beach and you have high tide. It then goes back, and you have high tide. It then goes back, and you have low tide. Some places have four tides a day. In others, the rise and fall of the water level is too small to be noticed.

How often do earthquakes occur?


How often do earthquakes occur?

Millions of tiny earthquakes happen every year. Many go unnoticed. About 20 major earthquakes occur every year and even weaker earth quakes can cause widespread death and damage.

Monday, January 14, 2008

How many volts can an electric ray produce?


How many volts can an electric ray produce?

The Atlantic torpedo ray stuns its prey with more than 200 volts of electricity.

How many types of whales are there?


How many types of whales are there?

There are two types of whales – those with teeth, and those without teeth. Dolphins and sperm whales belong to the former type while Baleen whales, which are the biggest of all living creatures, fall in the latter type.

How many types of animals are there in the sea?


How many types of animals are there in the sea?

An unimaginable number of creatures live in the sea! There are about 10 animal groups with thousands of species falling under each group. To get a rough idea, look at the table below: Animal Groups and number of species in each group are listed:

Insects: 10, 00,000
Plants: 3, 75,000
Arachnids: 1, 10,000
Roundworms: 1, 00,000
Mollusks: 50, 000
Fish: 27, 000
Crustaceans: 26, 000
Birds: 9, 000
Reptiles: 6, 500
Mammals: 4, 500

How many seas are there in the world?


How many seas are there in the world?

The oceans of the world are joined by seas. Seas cover smaller areas than the ocean, are nearer to the land, and are also generally shallower. There are dozens of seas, but some of the main seas are: The Bay of Bengal, The Arabian Sea, Red Sea, The Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Caribbean Sea.

How many fish are caught each year?


How many fish are caught each year?

About 120 million tons of fish are caught each year. This includes huge fish such as whales, which are hunted for meat and oil, smaller fish and shellfish like lobster and oyster. Dredgers and trawlers drag nets on the seafloor that trap everything in their path. Many people, especially environmentalists are concerned that stocks of certain fish are becoming dangerously low due to over-fishing.

How is water used to balance ships?


How is water used to balance ships?

Millions of gallons of sea water are poured into the empty tanks of ships to balance provide the necessary balance when they sail. This water is called the ship’s “ballast” water, and it is rich in all forms of sea life. The ship travel thousands of kilometres with this water in its tanks.

How is the Earth Magnetic?


How is the Earth Magnetic?

Movement inside the core of the Earth is thought to create electrical currents that make the magnetic field of the Earth. Like a planet sized bar magnet, the Earth's magnetic field is oriented to give a magnetic north Pole and the magnetic South Pole. The Earth's magnetic field structures far into space for about 60,000 kilometers. All the members of the Solar System have magnetic fields

How is salt produced?


How is salt produced?

When seawater evaporates, crystals of salt are left behind. Large quantities of salt are produced in salt pans. This is done by flooding shallow ponds (pans) with seawater and letting the water evaporate in the hot sun. this salt is then cleaned and made fit for consumption.

How is oil transported from the Arctic without it getting frozen?


How is oil transported from the Arctic without it getting frozen?

In 1977, the American built a pipeline 800 miles long, to transport oil from the Arctic Ocean to Southern Alaska. To stop the oil from freezing on its nine day journey, it is heated to a sizzling 113 degrees Fahrenheit.

How is oil recovered from under the sea?


How is oil recovered from under the sea?
Once the reservoir has been identified, temporary rigs are set up to determine whether the oil is of the right quantity and quality. To extract the oil, permanent oil platforms are built in the place of the rigs and anchored to the seabed. Oil is off-loaded from separate storage tanks into larger tanks or sent ashore via pipelines.