Oceans unit 4-7 practice

Question 1

What is global commons?

Answer 1

areas of the ocean that are classified by UNCLOS as high seas. Areas not directly under the control of a single country’s government

Question 2

What percentage of the world’s oceans are classified as global commons?

Answer 2

60%

Question 3

How is the International Whaling Commission managing the Earth’s oceans? What did UNCLOS require of its member?

Answer 3

Since 1986 the IWC issued an indefinite ban on commercial whale hunting. UNCLOS requires all 168 nations who have signed to agree the ‘law of the seas’ to follow IWC guidelines

Question 4

What did the IWC establish in 1994? Where and how much of the area was under the establishemen?

Answer 4

the IWC established southern whal sanctuary covering 50 million square km around Antarctica

Question 5

Why are marine ecosystems overexploited?What is there a correlation between?

Answer 5

There is a clear correlation between an increasing middle-class population and the exploitation of marine ecosystems. 160 million people will be categorised as middle class in the next 5 years. People have a disposable income to spend on exotic food; tuna, salmon, caviar

Question 6

How many people eat fish nowadays

Answer 6

today, each person eats on average 19.2kg of fish a year - around twice as much as 50 years ago. (Cod case study)

Question 7

what is sustainable management of marine environments?

Answer 7

sustainable development meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Question 8

What’s being done on a global scale to manage marine environments sustainably?Which governmental body?

Answer 8

The UN in 2015 put forward 15 goals for the sustainable development of the planet up to 2030.

Question 9

Which number of the UN’s 2015 targets involved oceans?

Answer 9

15

Question 10

Describe the 1995 UN Fish Stock Agreement

Answer 10

the agreement straddled fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, signed by 59 states. Effective management and conservation of high seas resources establishing minimum international standards for the conservation and management of fish stocks

Question 11

What was signed in 2023 to protect waters?What fraction of these areas cover the oceans?

Answer 11

in 2023 a historic treaty was signed to increase the protection of oceans to include the international waters of high seas, which cover over two-thirds of the world ocean area (Lamlash Bay - no-take zone)

Question 12

Define aquaculture

Answer 12

the farming of aquatic organisms including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants

Question 13

Name three ways the ocean is managed

Answer 13

local no-catch zones

regional quotas limits

marine conservation zones

Question 14

Name three sources of ocean pollution

Answer 14

Oil spills (Deepwater Horizon, Exxon Valdez)(Torrey Canyon)

Plastic pollution (UK rubbish exports)

Eutrophic dead zones (Mexican gulf eutrophic dead zone)

Question 15

How much plastic does the UN think is in every square mile of the ocean?

Answer 15

The UN Environmental Programme estimates that for every square mile of ocean, there are 46,000 pieces of floating plastic

Question 16

Define a microplastic

Answer 16

a degraded plastic which is less than 5mm in size

Question 17

What does the UK do to its waste?

Answer 17

exports it

Question 18

What is a gyre? Under which conditions to sub-tropic gyres collect rubbish?How many gyres worldwide?

Answer 18

natural open ocean rotations. Sub-tropic gyres collect rubbish dye to high-pressure conditions. There are 11 gyres worldwide

Question 19

Describe the Friendly Floati disaster 1992

Answer 19

a container ship had its rubber ducks washed overboard. In 2007 it was estimates that they would reach UK breachesW

Question 20

Which bird eats a lot of ocean plastic?How much plastic compared to humans are eaten?

Answer 20

The sea bird or Sheerwick Chick eats an equivalent of a human eating 10kg of plastic

Question 21

How many different marine species have been found to have eaten plastic? What % of mid-ocean depths have traces of plastic in them?

Answer 21

Over 300 species. 73% of fish caught from mid-ocean depths have traces of plastic in them

Question 22

Name the three ways oceans can be managed e.g. plastic

Answer 22

Globally: global conventions and UNCLOS (UNCLOS Article 194)

Regionally: European and national rules (plastic bag tax 2016)

Locally: Actions (beach pick-up screen)

Question 23

NAME THE STATUTE YOU MUST LEARN FOR OCEAN PROTECTION

Answer 23

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the sea (UNCLOS) Article 194 requires states to “prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment from any source”

Question 24

Name the impact of a plastic bag tax.What % had the usage dropped by and how many bags did this equal to?

Answer 24

After the introduction of the 2016 tax on single-use plastic bags the use of single-use plastic bags dropped by 90% equaling 9 billion fewer plastic bags being used.

Question 25

Name a compulsory input on packaging

Answer 25

mandatory labeling on packaging to help consumers dispose of these items correctly

Question 26

Define eutrophication

Answer 26

when a body of water becomes overly enriched with nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous, which cause the growth of algae on the surface.

Question 27

Identify the two ways nitrogen and phosphorous enter the ocean

Answer 27

Agriculture run-off

Domestic waste

Question 28

How is an ecosystem affected by eutrophication?

Answer 28

Saltwater turns into freshwater - ocean acidification

Depletion of oxygen kills marine species - dead algae accumulates below

Question 29

What is a UNESCO Heritage Marine site?How many places does this include under how many countries?

Answer 29

The UNESCO Marine Heritage List includes 49 ocean places distributed across 37 countries. (Belize barrier reef)

Question 30

Name the six post 1945 supranational institutions for global governance

Answer 30

UN (United Nations) - worldwide peace and security and act to develop relations among nations

EU (European Union) - promote greater social, political and economic harmony among the nations of Europe

G7 - 7 countries (Canada, Franca, Germany, Italy, UK, USA)

G20 - 19 member countries plus the EU - represents 85% of global economic output

G77 - 77 member countries from developing nations

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

Question 31

What’s UNCLOS?

Answer 31

The United Nations Convention on the Laws of the sea

Question 32

What’s an EEZ?

Answer 32

Exclusive Economic Zone - gives the right for nations to exploit, develop, and conserve all resources within the ocean waters and sea floor in an area that extends 200 miles from the shore

Question 33

What does CITES stand for?

Answer 33

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Question 34

When was the first container ship?

Answer 34

1956 and by the 1960s there was dramatic growth in containerisation

Question 35

What’s a chokepoint?

Answer 35

a point of congestion along shipping routes where narrow channels of shipping having high traffic because of their strategic locations (Suez canal)(Panema Canal) (Gulf of Aden)(English Channel)(Straits of Gibraltar)

Question 36

What two conditions must an oil tanker follow under UNCLOS regulations?

Answer 36

Oil tanker constrcution - double lined hull

in 1978 tanker flushing was made illegal - 1954 Oil Pollution convention prohibited discharge within 50 miles of land or 100 miles of sensitive areas

Question 37

Name two issues of maritime trade

Answer 37

piracy (Somalia)(NATO-operation ocean shield

smuggling and illicit trade (mediterranean sea route)(operation sofia)

Question 38

What does the international cable committee do?What year was it formed?

Answer 38

In 1958 the ICC was formed to promote the safeguarding of international submarine cables against man made natural hazards

Question 39

Name of the place rich in battery making materials?

Answer 39

Clarion Clipperton Zone in Mexico