Thursday, March 4, 2010

Effects of the Deep

As one goes deeper and deeper in an ocean or sea, a number of changes occur in a number of different of properties.

Temperature:  The deeper down, the lower the temperature, as less and less sunlight is able to penetrate until the point where no sunlight at all is present.  Creatures that tend to live in the deep adapt to this by developing a layer of blubber to help keep their inner temperature regulated.  Also, other organisms that live in the deep are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature is the same as their surroundings.

Pressure:  Every 33 feet, pressure increases by one unit.  In the very deep, pressure is ridiculously high, something that the human body would not be able to take.  Creatures in the deep sea and ocean have a couple of adaptations to the extreme pressure.  They first do not have a number of organs that would be crushed by the pressure, able to get by on fewer organs.  They also have very soft and loose bodies.

Bioluminescence:  In the darkness of the deep, some organisms have the ability to produce their own light, or bioluminescence.  This is used mostly as a protective adaptations, used to stun predators startled by the light.

Density:  The density increases as depth increases, because higher density is always on top.  Think the food coloring lab we did.

Salinity:  Remains stable as depth increases

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