2009 Ocean Geo-Quiz
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WELCOME TO THE 2009 Ocean Geo-Quiz. This was inspired by time spent with friends in the past year- and in looking through it, I think I ate a lot! Enjoy, Let me know how you did. Scroll down for the answers or, you can do this quiz-like fashion on a proprofs quiz site link here (if it doesn’t create text anxiety :)
http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=annual-fun-ocean-geo-quiz-with-twist
1. The Arctic Lion’s mane jellyfish is known as the largest jellyfish species in the world. But is it also….
a. The star of a Sherlock Holmes story
b. Responsible for the highest number of jellyfish deaths each year
c. Now more common in the sub-tropics than the Arctic due to global warming
d. Rubbish- it’s not the largest jellyfish in the world.
2. Close to 400 people have been rocketed into space. How many people have been sent into the deepest part of the ocean-floor?
a.19
b.6
c.700
d.2
e.128
3. ‘Tis the season of gastronomy…. The word chowder is synomymous with a rich seafood soup or stew. But the word chowder was..
a. Invented by Boston Restauranteur John Roberts c1765 for his signature, hearty and inexpensive winter seafood stew- a marketing ploy to attract more diners
b. Derived from “to chow” Derived from "to chow" meaning to eat quickly and with gusto because hungry fishermen at sea had little time to sit and eat before having to return on deck to haul pots and nets.
c. A word coined by Campbells Soup because soup labeled “fish soup” was not selling well.
d. The French chaudiere which meant a cauldron on board a boat into which fishermen would combine their catch to make a fish stew.
4. If you were spending the Holidays on the largest (by size) oceanic island you would be opening your pressies dressed in either a snowsuit or a swimsuit because you would be on…
a. New Guinea
b. Greenland
c. Sumatra
d. Madegascar
e. There’s now way I’m wearing a swimsuit or a snowsuit
5. Which fish produces the largest number of eggs?
a.salmon
b.Ocean Sunfish
c.Pollack
d.Grouper
The phrase “Holy Mackeral”
a.Refers to the fact that mackeral was the main fish eaten on fridays when Catholics were not allowed to eat meat.
b.Is Irish blasphemy.
c.Refers to the fact that mackeral was allowed to be sold on Sunday
d.Is a corruption of a rude English slang term (email me for the details)
7. You and I are out for dinner (continuing a theme here) and see the following fish on the menu. Which among them is the most poisonous species?
a.needle fish
b.owl fish
c.snake fish
d.puffer fish
e.That’s it. I’m outta here…. never having dinner with you again
8. The Pacific Ocean was named Tepre Pacificum, "peaceful sea"by the explorer Ferdinand Magellan (who was not really accurate with names). The “Atlantic Ocean” was named about and by whom?
a.The Sea of Atlas by the Greeks
b.After the Lost isle of Atlantis by the Greeks
c.Meaning to travel in unknown waters by ancient Arab navigators
d.Meaning “large and dangerous waters” by Phoenician sailors
9. The Cromwell Current is…
a. A fast flowing warm water current moving S-N in the Irish Sea, derived from the North Atlantic drift and that ultimately feeds into the Baltic.
b. A particular type of Pacific Ocean under current that acts like a river flowing under the sea surface
c. An unusual and seasonal wind driven ocean gyre off the coast of southern Sweden
d. The current that Oliver Cromwell sailed on to invade Ireland and which he discovered in his days as a fisheries inspector before he became an invading general.
e. Nice try but there’s no such thing. Lay off the egg nog, or whatever else you’re on.
10. You’ve embarked on a life of marine biology on board your dream boat. But can you navigate your way around the world? You are traveling through the Panama canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean. Which direction are you traveling?
a. East
b. West
c. Southeast
d. Southwest
e. Where did I put the GPS
11. Bonus question in two parts.
First the easy part (True or False). But after that a more challenging quiz for those of you who want to test your knowledge of ocean currents.
PART 1. There are seventeen major ocean currents. These currents are the vast highways of the sea, affecting weather, travel and navigation, trade, marine biodiversity and fisheries. TRUE OF FALSE? _
PART 2. Now for those of you want a challenge, you get to take a virtual ocean trip, but can you tell which currents or highways your riding and whether they're warm or cold....
You're taking an ocean trip, can you tell which currents you're sailing on and whether they're warm or cold.... (see the answer in view my answer or at the score tally)....
You leave Elliott Bay marina in Seattle, and sail south as far as Marina del Ray, on the ______ current a ____(warm/cold) water current. Seeing all those boats on the ocean with their fenders dangling overboard you turn west and head for Japan along the ______ current which is a ____ (warm/cold) current. There you leave your boat in dock, and fly to Galway on the west coast of Ireland to pick up your “other sailboat”. After a dinner of oysters and Guinness you sail out of the Harbor (singing Galway Bay at the top of your lungs) and head south against the ________ current which is a ___ (warm/cold) current. You pick up the sail close to shore passing the coast of Spain, Morrocco and down past Mauritius in Africa by hitching a ride on the _______ current ___ warm/cold current. At this point you crave an east Indian roti and rum dinner from the islands of the Caribbean, so you hang a right and sail westward just above the equator across the _________current a warm/cold current. After several rotis and rums, washing it all down with a latte in New York sounds exactly what you need. Waving goodbye, you point Northwest and grab onto the __________ current a warm/cold current to boost you northwards until you see Lady Liberty. Then you dock on the lower east side and go in search of the perfect latte
ANSWERS
1. The Arctic Lion’s mane jellyfish is known as the largest jellyfish species in the world. But is it also….
a.The star of a Sherlock Holmes story
b.Responsible for the highest number of jellyfish deaths each year
c. Much more common in the tropics than the Arctic
d. Rubbish- it’s not the largest jellyfish in the world.
Answer b. In the short story “The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane” Sherlock Holmes investigates the death of a school teacher. Suspicion fell on the teacher’s rival in love. But, you’ve guessed it, “the jellyfish did it”. The case was solved when the rival was himself attacked by the same lion’s mane jelly… thus begging the question, do jelly fish get jealous? No lets’ not go there….
The lion’s mane (Cyanea capillata) is the largest known jellyfish species and is rarely found below 42°N. In 1870 a lion’s mane washed ashore in Massachusetts Bay which had a bell 7.5feet (>2m) in diameter and tentacles 120 feet (36m) long--- longer than a blue whale. Big jelly!
2. Close to 400 people have been rocketed into space. How many people have been sent into the deepest part of the ocean-floor?
a.19
b.6
c.700
d.2
e.128
Answer d. a.Only 2. In 1960, two divers in the pressure-resistant, one-atmosphere bathyscaphe “Trieste” made the ultimate voyage to the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean, touching the sea floor nearly seven miles below the surface. Nobody else has done it since. Makes you think doesn’t it?
3. ‘Tis the season of gastronomy…. The word chowder is synomymous with a rich seafood soup or stew. But the word chowder was..
a. Invented by Boston Restauranteur John Roberts c1765 for his signature, hearty and inexpensive winter seafood stew- a marketing ploy to attract more diners
b. Derived from “to chow” Derived from "to chow" meaning to eat quickly and with gusto because hungry fishermen at sea had little time to sit and eat before having to return on deck to haul pots and nets.
c. A word coined by Campbells Soup because soup labeled “fish soup” was not selling well.
d. The French chaudiere which meant a cauldron on board a boat into which fishermen would combine their catch to make a fish stew.
Answer d. Yes, it was another triumph of french cooking. Twice I tried to cook turkey for the Holidays, on both occasions the turkey did not cook properly, despite the requisite number of hours in the oven. I take it as a sign to keep eating sustainable seafood and veggies..
4. If you were spending the Holidays on the largest (by size) oceanic island you would be opening your pressies dressed in either a snowsuit or a swimsuit because you would be on…
a. New Guinea
b. Greenland
c. Sumatra
d. Madegascar
e. There’s now way I’m wearing a swimsuit or a snowsuit
Answer b. Most likely you’re in a snowsuit because you’d be on Greenland with an area of 840,004 square miles, or 2,175,600 sq km (But then again I’ve seen some of you on cold shores less dressed than… never mind the secret is safe, but you know who you are! Are you hearing me tropical biologist…). New Guinea, is second largest at 312,167 square miles or 808,510 sq km), Madagascar is the fourth at 226,657 square miles or 587,040 sq km: Sumatra comes in sixth at 182,860 square miles or 473,606 sq km
5. Which fish produces the largest number of eggs?
a.salmon
b.Ocean Sunfish
c.Pollack
d.Grouper
The ocean sunfish (Mola mola) produces more eggs than any other species of fish- it produces more eggs than any other vertebrate on the planet! A single female can produce up to 300 million eggs at a single spawning, each measuring about 1.3 mm (0.05 in) in diameter! Considered a delicacy in Asia, a single sunfish can fetch prices as high as US $600 (U.S.).
The phrase “Holy Mackeral”
a.Refers to the fact that mackeral was the main fish eaten on fridays when Catholics were not allowed to eat meat.
b.Is Irish blasphemy.
c.Refers to the fact that mackeral was allowed to be sold on Sunday
d.Is a corruption of a rude English slang term (email me for the details)
Answer c. Mackeral is a fish that spoils quickly and must be consumed quickly. Because of this fish mongers (fish-sellers) in England were allowed to sell it on Sundays despite laws in 17th-century England that prohibited Sunday commerce. Thus the phrase, "Holy Mackerel!"
7. You and I are out for dinner (continuing a theme here) and see the following fish on the menu. Which among them is the most poisonous species?
a.needle fish
b.owl fish
c.snake fish
d.puffer fish
e.That’s it. I’m outta here…. never having dinner with you again
Answer d. The most poisonous fish (to eat) is the puffer fish whose ovaries, eggs, blood, liver, intestines and skin contain a fatally poisonous toxin called tetrodotoxin. Less than 0.1 g (0.004 oz) of this toxin is enough to kill an adult in as little as 20 minutes. The puffer fish is considered a delicacy in Japan. Specially trained chefs remove the poison, before the fish is served. But even a chef can have a bad day, and eating puffer fish can be fatal if the fish was improperly prepared. About 100 diners die each year after eating puffer fish. The poisonous parts of a puffer fish vary slightly from species to species. And there are about 120 different puffer fish species.
8. The Pacific Ocean was named Tepre Pacificum, "peaceful sea"by the explorer Ferdinand Magellan (who was not really accurate with names). The “Atlantic Ocean” was named about and by whom?
a.The Sea of Atlas by the Greeks
b.After the Lost isle of Atlantis by the Greeks
c.Meaning to travel in unknown waters by ancient Arab navigators
d.Meaning “large and dangerous waters” by Phoenician sailors
Answer a. The Atlantic owes its name to Herodotus who referred to it as the Sea of Atlas in 450 BC. Herodotus also described the tides and several marine species.
9. The Cromwell Current is…
a. A fast flowing warm water current moving S-N in the Irish Sea, derived from the North Atlantic drift and that ultimately feeds into the Baltic.
b. A particular type of Pacific Ocean under current that acts like a river flowing under the sea surface
c. An unusual and seasonal wind driven ocean gyre off the coast of southern Sweden
d. The current that Oliver Cromwell sailed on to invade Ireland and which he discovered in his days as a fisheries inspector before he became an invading general.
e. Nice try but there’s no such thing. Lay off the egg nog, or whatever else you’re on.
Answer a. The Cromwell current (also called Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent or just Equatorial Undercurrent) is a submarine river: It was discovered in 1952 by Townsend Cromwell, a researcher with the Honolulu Laboratory. It’s 250 miles (400 km) wide and flows to the east and is 300 feet (100 m) under the surface of the Pacific Ocean at the Equator ,Compared to other ocean currents, this one is relatively narrow in depth being only 100 feet deep. It is 3,500 (6000km) long and has 1000 times the volume of the Mississippi River. The Cromwell Current was listed in the 1964 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. And Oliver Cromwell who invaded Ireland did in fact start out as a fisheries officer working in the Irish Sea!
10. You’ve embarked on a life of marine biology on board your dream boat. But can you navigate your way around the world? You are traveling through the Panama canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean. Which direction are you traveling?
a. East
b. West
c. Southeast
d. Southwest
e. Where did I put the GPS
Answer c. Southeast Although the Pacific Ocean is west of the Atlantic Ocean in Central America, at Panama the Caribbean Sea arm of the Atlantic is to the north, and the Pacific to the south. Canal builders took advantage of natural lakes and valleys, so the actual orientation of the canal is NW to SE.
11. Bonus question in two parts.
First the easy part (True or False). But after that a more challenging quiz for those of you who want to test your knowledge of ocean currents.
PART 1. There are seventeen major ocean currents. These currents are the vast highways of the sea, affecting weather, travel and navigation, trade, marine biodiversity and fisheries. TRUE OF FALSE? _
PART 2. Now for those of you want a challenge, you get to take a virtual ocean trip, but can you tell which currents or highways your riding and whether they're warm or cold....
You're taking an ocean trip, can you tell which currents you're sailing on and whether they're warm or cold.... (see the answer in view my answer or at the score tally)....
You leave Elliott Bay marina in Seattle, and sail south as far as Marina del Ray, on the ______ current a ____(warm/cold) water current. Seeing all those boats on the ocean with their fenders dangling overboard you turn west and head for Japan along the ______ current which is a ____ (warm/cold) current. There you leave your boat in dock, and fly to Galway on the west coast of Ireland to pick up your “other sailboat”. After a dinner of oysters and Guinness you sail out of the Harbor (singing Galway Bay at the top of your lungs) and head south against the ________ current which is a ___ (warm/cold) current. You pick up the sail close to shore passing the coast of Spain, Morrocco and down past Mauritius in Africa by hitching a ride on the _______ current ___ warm/cold current. At this point you crave an east Indian roti and rum dinner from the islands of the Caribbean, so you hang a right and sail westward just above the equator across the _________current a warm/cold current. After several rotis and rums, washing it all down with a latte in New York sounds exactly what you need. Waving goodbye, you point Northwest and grab onto the __________ current a warm/cold current to boost you northwards until you see Lady Liberty. Then you dock on the lower east side and go in search of the perfect latte
Answer Part 1_ True. Part 2.
You leave Elliott Bay marina in Seattle, and sail south as far as Marina del Ray, on the CALIFORNIA current a COLD(warm/cold) water current. Seeing all those boats on the ocean with their fenders dangling overboard you turn west and head for Japan along the NORTH EQUITORIAL current which is a WARM(warm/cold) current. There you leave your boat in dock, and fly to Galway on the west coast of Ireland to pick up your “other sailboat”. After a dinner of oysters and Guinness you sail out of the Harbor (singing Galway Bay at the top of your lungs) and head south against the NORTH ATLANTIC DRIFT current which is a WARM (warm/cold) current. You pick up the sail close to shore passing the coast of Spain, Morrocco and down past Mauritius in Africa by hitching a ride on the CANARY current another COLD (warm/cold) current. At this point you crave an east Indian roti and rum dinner from the islands of the Caribbean, so you hang a right and sail westward just above the equator across the EQUITORIAL current a WARM warm/cold current. After several rotis and rums, washing it all down with a latte in New York sounds exactly what you need. Waving goodbye, you point Northwest and grab onto the GULF STREAM current a WARM warm/cold current to boost you northwards until you see Lady Liberty. Then you dock on the lower east side and go in search of the perfect latte.
YOUR SCORE___
See you for new adventure
