Project Name
Ocean Misconceptions
Description
Below is an emerging list of "misconceptions" (also known variously as alternate conceptions, pre-conceptions, non-normative conceptions, ...) related to ocean sciences concepts. They are categorized by broad ocean science topics and within particular grade bands.
Oceanography
Tides, Currents, Waves
? Coriolis effect causes directional flow of water in toilets, sinks, etc.
? Waves cause currents
? Causes of Tides, esp. tidal bulges
? Conflate currents, tides and waves (Ballantyne, 2004)
Seafloor/ocean basins
? The Atlantic Ocean is about the same size as the Pacific
? Continental shelf has a very steep slope
? Ocean is same depth everywhere
percentage of the Earth covered by water
ocean is the sam height (level) across the ocean
? Islands float
? Many separate oceans
? Sea floor is flat
? bottom of the ocean is a big sandy desert
? Ocean is shallower that it really is (many are shocked to learn the avg. depth is 2 miles)
? Location of land masses (Nelson, et al., 1992)
? Atlantic is the same size as the Pacific (Nelson, et al., 1992)
? Ocean is shaped like a bowl and bottom is sandy (Brody, 1996)
Hydrodynamics
? think pressure increases in a non-linear fashion (e.g., exponentially)
Coastal processes
? The coast and coastlines do not change
? Coastal erosion is an unusual process (unatural- ie. man is the reason for erosion)
? Waves are the only thing that makes sand
Properties of Seawater
? Table salt plus water is the same as ocean water
? Salinity is the same throughout the ocean (Brody, 1996)
? Water temperature changes with seasons and get colder in winter (Brody, 1996)
? Source of water in ocean and source of salt in ocean (Ballantyne, 2004)
Sea surface
? Sea surface is level (flat)
? Sea level has always been the same as it is now
Miscellaneous
? The ocean is blue because it reflects the color of the sky
? Sand is made of salt
? Ocean is infinite - so pollution isn't a problem and resources (like fish) are inexhaustible
? What's underwater has always been underwater
? Giant tidal waves will engulf the planet
? CA will fall into the ocean
? The Earth looks exactly the same now as it always has
? ocean is unrelated to weather
Marine Biology
Organismal Biology
? Corals are not alive
? Rock are living things
? Oysters are not alive
? Most organisms in the ocean are animals
Classification
? Sponges, corals and anemones, etc. are plants
? Starfish and jellyfish are fish
? Sea cucumbers are cucumbers (plants) that grow in the ocean
? Whales are fish
? Most animals in the ocean are vertebrates
? Sharks are not fish
? Algae are plants
Species Distribution
? Most living space is on land not in the ocean
? Life is evenly distributed throughout the ocean
? Think there are very few fish in the deep sea
? Coral reefs are widespread (Gulf and Atlantic - Philips, 1991; Atlantic - Brody, 1994; throughout ocean - Brody, 1996)
? The deep sea is a desert
? Plants grow in the deep sea (i.e., there is enough light in the deep sea for photosynthesis to occur)
Aquatic Physiology
? Fish get oxygen from water molecule not from dissolved oxygen (Brody, 1996)
? Whales breathe underwater
Miscellaneous
? Rainforest provides most of Earth's O2
? Plankton is made up of only plants (no animals)
? All plankton are tiny
? Deep aquatic plants don't need light (Brody and Koch, 1989-1990; Brody, 1994; Brody, 1996)
Other
? Most of the ocean is protected (OP, 1999)
? Few people believe their personal actions impact the ocean (AAAS, 2003; OP, 1999)
? Approx. 80% of Americans believe forests produce more O2 than the ocean (OP, 2002)
? Deep sea exploration is too expensive to be "worthwhile"
? deep sea is not "important"
? deep sea is not "relevant for most people"
? Oceans are limitless resource (Brody and Koch, 1989-1990; Brody, 1994)
? There are no political boundaries to the ocean (Brody and Koch, 1989-1990; Brody, 1994; Brody, 1996)
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