constantly on the move
affected by the earth's rotation, wind, salinity, heat, and bottom topography
influences climate

Answer (6)


tossed from a cargo ship in May 1990
have been washing ashore
swap meets held to find matched pairs

Answer (2)


absorbed by plants as wavelengths of light
used to show productive areas of the ocean
used by satellites to create images of the ocean

Answer (1)


named for the Christ Child
occurs every two to seven years
can cause drought and brushfire in Australia while causing floods in California

Answer (7)


constructed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
can carry three people to the deep sea
used to locate the wreck of the HMS Titanic

Answer (3)


decorated by divers and attached to the outside of a research sub
shrinks as intense pressure squeezes out air pockets
holds hot drinks

Answer (8)


located off the coast of New Guinea
found at 35,802 ft, the deepest place on earth
pressure is over 8 tons per square inch

Answer (4)


wood frame covered with walrus or sea lion skin
used to hunt marine animals in the open sea
light, flexible, and fast

Answer (9)


marks a lobsterman's territories
tied to traps
color code

Answer (5)


ship's "eyes"
can be in the form of people, animals, or mythical beings
decorates the bow of a ship

Answer (10)


used in the Marshall Islands
shows islands and wave patterns
used to teach basic navigation

Answer (11)


kissing the first sockeye salmon caught each season for good luck
putting turtle blood on a canoe to honor prey
wearing or taking charms along on a trip for luck

Answer (16)


worn by women of some countries to help breast milk flow more freely
males incubate their young
used to cure cancer in ancient Greece

Answer (12)


used to study ocean floor sediments
used to provide evidence of changes in sea level due to ice ages
can be used to show the most complete geologic record of the past 200 million years

Answer (17)


similar in structure to bone
skeletons can create islands
bony skeleton of tiny animals

Answer (13)


have the largest single nerve cell
used to study how nerve impulses travel
used to answer questions about Alzheimer's disease

Answer (18)


can grow over 10 feet long
live in sulfurous hot water spewing from sea floor cracks
rely on bacteria living in their body tissue for energy

Answer (14)


used to make peanut butter
found in the sugars of red algae
safeguards spreadability, stops oil separation

Answer (19)


per gallon, gets better gas mileage than trucks
most important economic use of the oceans
moves along specific "lanes"

Answer (15)


composed mostly of manganese
potentially valuable mining product
found on the bottom of ocean basins

Answer (20)


originated in Europe
stowaway in ballast water
presently a major pest in the Great Lakes and other North American waters

Answer (21)


commercially important fish
status in the ocean is depleted
sold in Japanese fish markets for tens of thousands of dollars

Answer (26)


nurture young fish and shellfish
control erosion and water quality
grows on muddy shores in the tropics

Answer (22)


half live within 60 miles of a coastline
expected to reach 8 billion by the year 2020
displaces wildlife, puts great demand on the land

Answer (27)


could result in more and stronger hurricanes
coral reefs would die back in some places, and have new growth in other places
sea level would rise flooding coastlines

Answer (23)


keep books
track local, state, and federal regulations
fish processors, marketers, and business managers

Answer (28)


causes of death of many fish, birds, turtles, and marine mammals
looks like food to marine organisms, but blocks their digestive tracks
can float for years

Answer (24)


Americans consumed 2.5 pounds per person in 1993
caught in fixed nets and trawls
eat algae, detritus, and microorganisms

Answer (29)


reminds people that discards can harm bodies of water locally and far away
way of protecting watersheds
found along roadways

Answer (25)


world's fastest growing industry
can include water sports, cruise ship travel, and ocean-based travel
benefits other industries such as transportation, lodging, restaurants, retail stores, and construction

Answer (30)



Answer Key


 1.  color
 2.  Nike shoes
 3.  ALVIN Submersible
 4.  Mariana Trench
 5.  buoys
 6.  currents
 7.  El Ni¤o
 8.  polystyrene cup
 9.  Arctic kayak
10.  carved figurehead
11.  navigation stick chart
12.  seahorse
13.  coral
14.  vent tube worm
15.  shipping
16.  fishing rituals
17.  core drilling
18.  squid
19.  carrageenan
20.  metallic nodule
21.  zebra mussel
22.  mangrove
23.  global  warming
24.  balloon
25.  storm drain stencil
26.  bluefin tuna
27.  population/humans
28.  fishermen's wives
29.  shrimp
30.  tourism

Ocean Planet Exhibition Floorplan

gene carl feldman (gene@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov) (301) 286-9428
Judith Gradwohl, Smithsonian Institution (Curator/Ocean Planet)