Coastal Landforms - University of Miami

MarineConserva,onScience&PolicyCurriculum–2012,2015DeeringEstate.Allrightsreserved.1

FocusQuestionWhataresomeoceanandcoastalfeatures?Howdothesefeatures interactandwhyaretheyimportant?

ObjectivesStudents will explore some of the main features of the ocean and coastal landforms andexamineinteractionsthataregloballysignificant.Studentswilllearnto

• Identifyoceanandcoastalfeatures.• Analyzetheimportanceofthesefeaturesandhowtheirinteractionsaffecthumans.• Elaborateanewsreportsummarizingtheirknowledgeofoceanandcoastallandform

features.This will be a project-based activity in which students will explore themain features of theoceanandcoastallandforms.

BackgroundThe ocean covers nearly 70% of our planet and contains 97% of the world’s water,affectingeverythingfromclimatetorecreationandmakingEarthuniqueintheSolarSystemastheonlyplanetwithperfectconditionsfor liquidwater.Thisexceptionalbodyofwatermakesalloflifepossible,andthissignificancedrawsscientiststostudythefeatures,coastallandformsandinteractionsthatsupportthiscomplexsystem.

Theoceanplaysan essential role in regulating theEarth’sclimate, particularly throughthewater cycle, the process of evaporation, condensation, and eventual return ofmoisturethroughtheprecipitationuponwhichall lifedepends.Theocean ispartly responsibleforthetemperature of the atmosphere, as the Sun heats the water, the heat is transferred to theatmospherewhichthenwarmstheglobe.Becausewaterchangestemperaturelessrapidlythanair,theoceanhelpsbalanceseasonalextremesbyabsorbingsummerheatandslowlyreleasingitthroughoutthewinter;withoutthesemoderationstheplanetwouldbeafrigidballofice.

Oceancurrents,astreamofwaterrunningthroughalargerbodyofwater,insomewaysaid in climate regulation, transferringheat from the Equator to thepolesand returningwithcooler water. The water of the ocean is also shifted by tides, the daily rise and fall of theocean’s surface partly due to the Moon’s gravitational pull. Tides move nutrients, shiftsediment and shape shorelines, forming a rich intertidal habitat on land and a renewableenergyresourcethatengineershopetodevelopfurther.

Coastallandformsbothaffectandareaffectedbytheocean,particularlythrougherosion.Erosion is the breakdown andmovement of rock by water and wind, a process particularlyevident along shorelines where waves beat at cliffs, pulverizing the rock and grinding theresultingsedimentthataccumulatesatthebase.Onerosionalcoasts,thissedimentisdraggedto thedeepby currentsand tides, introducingnewnutrients tooceandepths,while carvingsheercliffs,seastacksandseaarches.

MarineConservationScience&Policy:OceanandCoastalFeatures

GradeLevel:

4th–12th

SubjectAreaScienceBiologyDuration1.5Hrs

BodyofKnowledgeLifeScienceNatureofSciencePhysicalScience

BigIdeaOrganizationandDevelopmentofLivingOrganisms.ThePracticeofScience

StandardsSC.K.N.1.1Collaboratewithapartnertocollectinformation.SC.4.E.6.4Describethebasicsoferosion(movementofrockbygravity,wind,water,andice).SC.8.G.5.2Describetheimpactofhumanmodificationsontheenvironmentandecosystems.SC.912L.17.16Discussthelarge-scaleenvironmentalimpactsresultingfromhumanactivity.

Benchmarks:

MarineConserva,onScience&PolicyCurriculum–2012,2015DeeringEstate.Allrightsreserved.2

BackgroundConversely, depositional coasts are shaped by currents, tides and wave action andmarked by deep accumulations of sediment, usually divided into three categories: deltas,barrierislandandestuarinesystems,andstrandplaincoasts.Deltasformatthemouthoftherivers when the continental shelf is only gently sloped, accumulating rich sediment fromupstream that can form tidal flats and salt marshes. Barrier island and estuarine systemsconsistsofelongatednarrowislandsthatrunparallel to shoreandoftenshelter lagoonsandbrackishwaterbodiescalledestuaries.Thetermstrandplaincoastshasbeenappliedtomanycoastalenvironmentsbutareusuallycharacterizedbybeachesandcoastaldunes.Themixofnutrients runningoff landwiththevibrantenergyofthetidesmakesthe coastssomeofthemostproductiveecosystemsintheworld, includingcrucialhabitatssuchasmangroveforests,seagrassmeadows,coralreefs,andsaltmarshes.

Aside from providing critical habitats, ocean features and coastal landforms makeincalculable contributions to trade, recreation, tourism, renewable energy developments,mining, oil drilling, food resources, carbon absorption and climate regulation. Humans haverelied on the ocean and coasts for thousands of years for exploration, food sources andlivelihood,andcontinuethatdependencetoday.

Despitetheirglobal importance,theoceanandcoastsare someofthemostthreatenedanddamagedregionsoftheworld,sufferingfromsewageandchemicalrunoff,globalwarmingandclimate change, sea level rise, erosion,andvastamountsofpollution.Thismaybemostevident in theGreat Pacific GarbagePatch, a swirlingvortexofplasticbags, Styrofoamcups,andothernon-biodegradabledebrisweighinganestimated3.5milliontons,disturbingwildlife,leeching chemicalsand introducingharmfulPDBstothefoodchain,toxinsthatareespeciallydevastatingbythetimetheyreachtertiaryconsumerslikehumans.3

In order to prevent some of this destruction, some governments and companies havetakenstepstoreducetheirwastes,butindividualsmusttakestepstocorrectharmfulhabitsaswell.Forexample,theExxonValdezoilspillof1989sloppedover10milliongallonsofoilintothe sensitive ecosystem of Prince William Sounds, and while the company was vilified andforced to pay reparations, U.S. and Canadian consumers continue to dump about 16milliongallonsofoilfromrunoffintotheAtlanticandPacificoceans.Toreallymakestrides inmarineconservation, governments, companies and individuals must be held accountable, reducingplastic production, decreasing chemical use, andminimizing waste. While it is important torememberthatalldrains leadtotheocean,itisequallycriticaltoremindpeopletheocean iswhatmakes life possible. This isn’t an isolated intangibility under discussion, but a complexecosystemtowhichhumansareindebted,interconnectedandindivisible.

SupplementalResources1-“Ocean.”NationalGeographicEducation.http://education.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ocean/2-“Tides.”NationalGeographicEducation.http://education.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/tide/3-VirtualTour:“ThePropertiesofWater.”OdysseyEarth.hip://www.odysseyearth.com/videos/the-proper,es-of-water/

Vocabulary:

Climate:Theweatherconditionsprevailinginoneareaoveralongperiodoftime

WaterCycle:Theprocessbywhichwatermovesfromland,oceanandatmospherethroughevaporation,condensationandprecipitation.

Current:Astreamofwatermovingthroughalargerbodyofwater.

Tides:Thedailyriseandfalloftheocean’ssurfacepartlyduetotheEarth’sgravitationalpull.

OceanFloor:Thebottomoftheoceanthatstemsformthecontinentalshelfandrisesandfallsthroughmountains,canyons,plainsandtrenches.

Erosion:Thebreakdownandmovementofrockbywaterandwind.

ErosionalCoasts:Shorelinescharacterizedbythereductionofrockandsedimentbyerosion,oftenfeaturingseastacks,cliffs,andarches.

DepositionalCoasts:Shorelinescharacterizedbytheaccumulationofsedimentoftenfromlargedistances,andusuallydividedintodeltas,barrierislandandestuarinesystems,andstrandplaincoasts.

MarinePollution:Theentryofharmfulmaterialsintotheocean.

MarineConserva,onScience&PolicyCurriculum–2012,2015DeeringEstate.Allrightsreserved.3

OceanandCoastalLandformsNewsFlashMaterials

• LinedPaperforscript(maybecutintoslipsorindexcards)• Butcherpaperforvisuals• Pensorpencilsforreportwriting• Coloringutensilsforvisuals(crayons,markers,orcoloredpencils)

Procedure

1. Explaintostudentsthattheywillbewri,nganewsreporttoinformthepublicabouttoday’slessonandbrieflyintroducesomeoftheformatsforthenews(i.e.slipsofpaperwithdifferentinforma,vereports,visualrepresenta,ons,weatherreport).

2. Dividetheclassintogroupsoffour.Eachgroupwillwriteanewsreportdemonstra,ngknowledgefromtoday’slesson.Sometopicsmayinclude:-Howtheoceanaffectsclimate-Categoriza,onandforma,onoflocalcoastallandforms(i.e.Miamihasbarrierislands,aformofdeposi,onalcoast)-Explana,onsofcurrents,,des,andwavemo,on-Whytheoceanisimportant,threatsandconserva,onmethods

3. Havestudentsbrainstormideasfor5minuteswithintheirgroupsanddecideon1-5newsreportheadlines,howevermanyyoudecidetheycanhandledependingonageandability.

4. Onceeachgrouphasdecidedontheirtopics,havethemwriteaheadlineandabriefreportonslipsofpaperorindexcards.

5. Havestudentselaborateonsomevisualstopairwiththeirreports.6. Havegroupspresenttheirnewsreports.Encouragediscussionabouttheimportance

oftheoceanandhowcoastallandformspar,cularlyaffectMiamiasacoastalcity.

WorksheetAnswerKey

Answersmayvary,caninclude:Reduceuseofplastics,fertilizers,andhouseholdchemicals;walkingorbikinginsteadofdriving;reusingmaterials,i.e.usinganoldtireforaswing;reducingelectricalandwaterusebyturningofflights,takingshowersinsteadofbaths,andusinglow-flowshowerheads,etc.

WaterCycle:Theprocessbywhichwatermovesfromland,oceanandatmospherethroughevaporation,condensationandprecipitation.

ErosionalCoasts:Shorelinescharacterizedbythereductionofrockandsedimentbyerosion,oftenfeaturingseastacks,cliffs,andarches.

DepositionalCoasts:Shorelinescharacterizedbytheaccumulationofsedimentoftenfromlargedistances,andusuallydividedintodeltas,barrierislandandestuarinesystems,andstrandplaincoasts.

MarinePollution:Theentryofharmfulmaterialsintotheocean.Havestudentsthinkonhowpollutionandtrashendupintheoceanandhowmuchtrashhumanscreateeveryday.Havethemwriteaparagraphintheirjournalaboutaschoolactionplan,explainingsomehabitstheyhaveobservedintheirschoolandlistingatleastfivestepsthatcanbetakentoimprove.Followupnextclassbyaskingabouttheirprogressontheirindividual,homeandschoolactionplans.

HavestudentscompletetheOceanandCoastalConservationworksheetafterclassandwritealistofthreeitemstheylearnedtodayandthreeitemstheywouldliketoresearchfurther.

ExtensionActivity:

Assessment:

Vocabulary:

MarineConserva,onScience&PolicyCurriculum–2012,2015DeeringEstate.Allrightsreserved.4

Icanreduceby… IcanReuseby… IcanRecycleby…

MSCP

OceanandCoastalConservation

Usingthetableabove,converttheselistsintoanactionplan.Determinefivestepsthatyouandyourfamilycantakeathometoreduce,reuseandrecycleandhelpprotecttheplanet’soceansandcoasts.

1. ________________________________________________________________________________2. ________________________________________________________________________________3. ________________________________________________________________________________4. ________________________________________________________________________________5. ________________________________________________________________________________

Whiletheoceanandcoastsarecriticallyimportantforthehealthoftheplanet,humanscontinuetopollutethesevaluableresources,includingdumpingover1.4billionpoundsoftrashintotheoceaneveryyear.ThisdebrisfloatsintotwistingvortexesliketheGreatPacificTrashGyreorwashesuponcoasts,harmingwildlife,commercialfisheriesandhumanhealth.Asindividuals,evenifwelivefarfromtheocean,wecanhelppreventthiswastebypracticingthethreeR’s:Reduce,Reuse,andRecycle.ThinkaboutyourdailyroutineanddecidewhatyoucandotopracticethethreeR’sandhelpprotecttheplanet’soceansandcoasts.