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This semester we are going to have the opportunity to ask questions about Marine Biology. Start thinking of a question that has always interested you about Marine Biology. It can be in any realm, ecosystem, organism -- it has to be in the ocean and has to be biological.

Put your question below with your initials. Don't worry too much if it isn't the *perfect* question, we are going to have time to refine it over the semester. Also, your initial question may need to be broken into several testable questions as we continue to investigate the question.

At the end of the semester you are going to use your question to present a proposal that introduces your testable question, discusses the background knowledge of this topic, and proposes methods to answer this question.

Don't worry, we will be going over this further in the next few weeks. The format of the final proposal will be in the style of an NSF GRFP proposal, which is 2 pages in length. Plus a 15 min class presentation.

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Why is there significantly more variation in the salinity of the Temperate Shelf as opposed the Polar Deep Basin? -OD

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Why is there significantly more variation in the salinity of the Temperate Shelf as opposed the Polar Deep Basin? -OD

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1. Double click anywhere on this page to post a question.  This should be a question that you have after doing Step One.

2. In the Title section, type your question exactly as it first comes to mind.

3. In the Write Something section, type your first and last initial.

4. When finished, click again anywhere on this web page to post another question.

5. Read the questions other people have posted. Feel free to add new, but related questions as "comments" on a question someone else posted.

6. Keep asking questions until time is up.

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If you were going to answer your three priority questions right now, what are some possible next steps or avenues for investigation and further exploration?

If you have a next step related to a specific priority question, click on the Add Comment chat box icon to post a comment on that specific question.

Or, if you'd like to share one idea for next steps more generally (not related to just one priority question), click on the Add Comment icon on this post to post your ideas.

Please add your initials at the end of your comments!

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Review the questions that you asked. Find at least one to label “C” for closed-ended or and at least one to label “O” for open-ended.

Closed-ended: can be answered with “yes” or “no” or with one word.

Open-ended: require an explanation and cannot be answered with "yes”, “no”, or one word.

Then, edit your post using the pencil symbol and in the "write something" section, next to your initials, label it C or O.

THINK: What are the advantages and disadvantages of asking each type of question? (optional) Use the Add Comment chat box icon for this post, if you'd like to share an advantage or disadvantage you see for Open and/or Closed questions.  Add your first and last initial after any comments that you make.

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1. Read through all of the questions that have been posted. Pick the three questions that you might want to research further.

2. Click on the heart icon at the bottom of a post to "vote" for it as a priority question.

3. THINK: What were your reasons for selecting those three?  (optional) Click on the Add Comment chat box icon on this post if you'd like to share your rationale and reflect on your choices. Don't forget to add your initials at the end of your comment!

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1. Click on the link below to get a salinity graph.

2. Play with the data interactive on your own for 5 minutes.

3. Determine if there are relationships between two different regions of the North Atlantic Ocean.

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Your Objective

Use salinity with depth data to determine if there are relationships over time between two different regions of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Make a prediction about what changes in salinity with depth you may observe across different parts of the ocean.

Compare patterns in the data below to determine what and if there are relationships over time and/or space.

Data Tips

When the site loads, you are able to see daily profiles of salinity data from the first two weeks of July 2015 from the Coastal Pioneer Array (Temperate Shelf) and the Global Irminger Sea Array (Polar Deep Basin) both in the North Atlantic Ocean. You can interact with the data by:

Selecting a different amount of time to look at by choosing between, "1 week," "2 weeks," or "1 month."

Selecting a different part of the year to explore the data in ways that interest you by moving the highlighted section of the bottom graph to the right or left.

Zooming in and out of the data to look at different time scales that interest you by changing the width of the highlighted section of the bottom graph to be more or less than two weeks.

Selecting to have the salinity or depth scales be the same across the two graphs, rather than determined by the available data (as it shows when the site loads).

As a note, the color denotes the time of year the salinity data are from (pink are from May 2015 through dark purple from February 2016).

Questions for Thought

Orientation Questions

What is the overall range of salinity data you are able to observe in each graph?

What is the overall range of depth data you are able to observe in each graph?

What is the overall time range are you able to observe in each graph?

Interpretation Questions

What similarities and differences did you find in patterns of salinity with depth over time between these Temperate Shelf and Polar Plain locations in the North Atlantic Ocean?

What other questions do you have about differences in patterns in changes in salinity with depth across different parts of the ocean from these data?

Background Information

Click on the images below to learn more about where and how the dataset above was collected.

Dataset Information

The data for this activity was obtained from the following profiling CTD instruments:

Download CP02PMUI Download GI02HYPM

The above datasets were downloaded from the OOI data portal. Complete profiles of the instrument were identified and the profile closest to midnight (GMT) each day was saved. This reduced the overall temporal resolution (and size) of the final dataset but it preserved the raw variability exhibited in individual profiles and measurements.

This site was developed with the support of the National Science Foundation under Grants OCE-1550207, OCE-1649637, and OCE-1831625. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

© 2016-2021 Rutgers University

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Changes in Salinity with Depth - Application | Data Explorations

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Use salinity with depth data to determine if there are relationships over time between two different regions of the North Atlantic Ocean. Make a prediction about what changes in salinity with depth you may observe across different parts of the ocean. Compare patterns in the data below to determine what and if there are relationships over time and/or space.