Manhattan Beach in California Oceanography - Research Paper Example

Manhattan Beach in California Oceanography Oceanography is a branch of Earth science that studies the ocean. It involves the study of marine organisms, ocean currents, ocean waves, wave erosion and the general geology of the ocean floor. As Mellor asserted, oceans have a close relationship to the atmosphere at the “air seas interface and to the land through rivers” (1). The land masses and the ocean basins are products of dynamic geological processes as will be discussed in this paper. The discussion of this paper is based on a visit to Manhattan Beach in California. The visit to this beach was to determine both the physical oceanic features and the human activities taking place in the beach. On the oceanic features, the main interest was on ocean currents and waves and their effects on the ocean. The impact of human activities like the popular recreational games, such as skateboarding, biking and surfing, and the industrial activities within the beach on marine life was also considered during the visit. Ocean Currents at Manhattan Beach in California Types of Ocean Currents Currents are directed streams of water that transport water, heat and animals and are caused by the effects of wind (Corporation 374). Two major types of ocean waves distinguished by the nature of their motions and their causes have been identified and are surface currents and the deep water currents. Surface currents are wind-driven and horizontal in their motion. However, the deep currents are caused by differences in the densities of waters of the ocean and are vertical and horizontal in motion. Deep currents result in upwelling and down welling. In upwelling, as the lighter warm water rises, cold water is forced to rise to fill the void left by the warm water. By contrast, in down welling, the vertical rise of cold water creates a void which consequently forces the descending warm lighter water to fill the empty space. Measurement of Ocean Currents Surface currents may be measured in units of Sverdrup (Sv) using direct methods like fixed current meter and indirect methods like pressure gradients, radar altimeters and Doppler flow meters (Neumann 10). On the other hand, deep currents are measured by timed floating devices, chemical tracers and by the analysis of the characteristic of the oceanic waters temperature and salinity. Importance of Ocean Currents Ocean currents have been found to play significant roles. Fogiel argued that since ocean currents followed the coastline, it influenced weather both on land and on the ocean (214). For instance, the Gulf Stream is a warm current originating from the Gulf of Mexico and moving north of Europe. The warm weather of Europe is attributed to the current. Another case is the cold Humboldt Current whose disruption by, for instance the El Nino, results into a change in the Chile’s productive waters and cool coastline. Ocean Waves at Manhattan Beach in California Ocean waves are caused by the forward movement of the waters of the ocean due to the oscillation of water particles caused by the frictional drag of wind over the surface of water. The wave energy generated by the friction moving the waves are passed between the water molecules in ripples that propel the molecules forward forming a circular path. The continuous movement of waves enables them to grow in height and steepness and when the waves become too high relative to the depth of water, they topple onto the beach forming a breaker. This scenario could be observed in Manhattan Beach. Wave Breakers There are two types of breakers, plunging and spilling breakers that are classified depending on the slope of the shoreline. Whereas plunging breakers are caused by a steep shoreline, spilling breakers are caused by a gentle and gradual slope of the shoreline. Wave refraction is the bending of oceanic waves due to the varying water depths. It involves the part of the wave in the shallow water moving relatively slower than that of the wave in the deeper water. In Manhattan Beach, wave refraction could be observed as waves approached circular and straight shoreline at an angle. Wave Erosion Sills recognized the fact that waves could act as agents of erosion by crashing on the rocky shore and breaking up materials (276). Ocean waves normally crash onto the shoreline at an angle thus creating a net flow of water along which crushes debris. Tsunami is an example of wave erosion as it involves the rapid displacement of large water which triggers series of water waves (Sills 184). The main causes of tsunami are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater landlines within the coastal regions. The effects of tsunami are devastating and include destruction and damage to property and landmarks and loss of biodiversity. There were a few deposits of debris in Manhattan Beach, an indication of wave erosion. Ocean Tides Reading defined tides as caused by the gravitational attraction exerted on oceanic features by the moon and the sun (164). Tides also have significant effect on the coastal morphology since they control the regular flow of the ocean currents which are instrumental in the transportation of sediments. In Manhattan Beach, tides could be both the high and low tides levels were noted on the beach. Marine Organisms at Manhattan Beach in California Marine organisms are adapted to live in salty waters in the ocean. Such organisms include zooplankton, nekton, benthos and the higher older animals like the whales (Corporation 325). In the beach’s pier, a number of marine wildlife was observed. The Aquarium had sharks, animals, lobsters, common fish, and non-native fish and invertebrates. Generally, marine organisms are faced with the problem of salt regulation, oxygen deficiency and adapting to water pressure. However, each organism is adapted to the specific environment it occupies as was noted during the visit to Manhattan Beach. For instance, in salt regulation, most marine organisms like fish and other sea birds were able to drink salt water while eliminating the same. On the other hand, higher order animals are able to obtain oxygen and to regulate their body temperature. Besides, it was observed in the beach that organisms like plankton and algae that required light lived in shallow, clear waters to access light. The Distribution of Marine Organisms The distribution of the fish in the Beach included the normal surf species at the sandy beach, the common pier species around the pilings while at the mid pier was the small tom cod, the herrings and the jack smelt. At the end of the pier were the artificial reef while at the deepest water was the bonito, the mackerel and the scorpion fish. Such distributions depended on the fish species and their adaptations. Biological Productivity A number of factors that include light, nutrients, temperature and feeding strategies affect the biological productivity of organisms in coastal regions. First, marine productivity is important to human survival and well-being. They provide human with rich source of food and income. Like in Manhattan Beach, the presence of the beach is a major attraction to tourists. It was also observed that mangroves and sea grass provided protection to the coastline by reducing wave erosion while other filter runoff from the land. The Food Web Like any other organism, marine ecosystems require nutrients and light, which are both limiting to produce food and energy. All nutrition in the ocean come from photosynthetic organisms like plankton and microscopic algae as the other organisms depend directly or indirectly on these organisms. However, the amount of light penetrating the ocean waters tend to decrease with increase in water depth while nutrient is variable. For instance, in open oceans there are few primary producers because of low nutrients availability. In other words, the concentration of organisms depends on the primary producers who are the foundation of the food web in the ocean. This fact was illustrated by the concentration of marine organisms in regions rich in nutrients in Manhattan Beach. Coastal Pollution at Manhattan Beach in California Generally, pollution of the coastal region is a product of human activities which was also reflected in the Manhattan Beach. In Manhattan Beach, noise from recreational and navigation points was the major source of pollution. There were many country clubs, spotting activities, restaurants and learning institutions. Agarwal (1) observed that noise could interfere with marine mammals’ communication and their habitat. Fishing methods in the coastal regions besides contributing to noise had also littered the beach. For instance, there were fishing lines, nets, abandoned boats and dock structures in the Beach. The other routes of pollution in the Manhattan Beach were toxic wastes from burnt fuels in engine boats and other navigation machines and hot water discharged from the neighborhood. The Gulf Oil Pollution The effects of these emissions to plant and animal life may be illustrated by the Gulf Oil Spill where more than 42,000 gallons of crude oil was spilt into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The pollution led to the death of many species of sea birds and other marine life (Corporation 371). The oil coated the birds, limiting their motion and destroying their sight, organs, tissues and respiratory and reproductive systems. On the other hand, the toxic chemicals accumulated in the marine plants and other organisms. The increase in the concentration of the toxic substances in the food chain through the process of biomagnifications resulted in the whole food chain being affected. Summary of at Manhattan Beach in California This paper has noted that the main factors that result in the movement of surface waters are the wind movements, the effect of the force of gravity, heating of the waters by the sun, evaporation and salinity. Two types of ocean current movement, the horizontal and vertical have also been discussed. It has particularly identified that surface currents are vertical movements caused by the frictional drag between wind and the ocean waters and follow the wind belt pattern. On the other hand, deep currents have been discussed as both vertical and horizontal in motion and caused by the differences in temperature and salinity. Both the vertical movement of cold water to the surface and warm water downward has also been discussed. This paper has also looked at the effect of ocean waves and wave erosion and the effect off the causes of Tsunami. The Manhattan Beach has been presented as an expensive recreational facility with numerous human activities. However, this paper has noted that such activities have contributed to the reduced number of marine organisms. On a specific note, the paper discussed the effect of noise from the many recreational sites and the impact of toxic emissions within the beach. The accumulation of the toxic materials in the food chain, a process referred to as biomagnifications, was considered as a cause of the reduced number of marine life in the Manhattan Beach. Thus this paper finally concludes that the study of oceans and their physical features is quite important. It notes that marine ecosystems are both economically and biologically useful to man and should therefore be preserved. As was noted during the visit, the economic importance of Manhattan Beach in the areas of fishing, sporting, tourism and recreation can not be underestimated hence a call for preservation of the coastline. Works Cited Agarwal, S. Noise Pollution. New Delhi, India: A.P.H. Publishing Corporation, 2009. Print. Corporation, Marshall. Aquatic Life of the World. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2000. Print. Fogiel, M. The High School Earth Science Tutor. Piscataway, N.J. The Association, 1995. Print. Mellor, George. Introduction to Physical Oceanography. Woodbury, NY: AIP Press, 1996. Print. Neumann, Gerald. Ocean Currents. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1968. Print. Sills, Alan. Barron’s E-Z earth Science. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Barron’s, 2010. Print. Read More