Thank you in advance!! AMSLarge Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) are defined as relatively broad ocean ecosystems(200,000 km² or 77,220 mi?, or greater) as well as the adjoining coastal regions stretching fromriver basins and estuaries toward the breaks of continental shelves or the margins of well-definedcurrent systems. LMEs have higher primary productivity than the open ocean and are identifiedbased on similarities in physical and biological systems, including (1) bottom depth contours, (2)currents and water mass structure, (3) marine productivity, and (4) trophically dependentpopulations (food webs).By international consensus, LMEs are identified as organizational units to facilitate managementand governance strategies. NOAA has adopted the LME as the basic unit to implement anecosystem approach to the management of marine resources and is currently used in many LMESworldwide to introduce scientific methods for marine ecosystem observing, analysis, assessment,and resource management. Eleven LMEs are located in U.S. coastal and ocean waters.CURRENT OCEAN STUDIES 8Large Marine EcosystemsTo learn details about LMEs, go to http://onesharedocean.org/Imes/introduction. One SharedOcean is an international effort, of which NOAA is a core partner, to share information amongall nations.a. 61b. 641. The map on the LME introduction page identifies a total of LMES. LMEs produce80% or more of the world's fish catch, making them the focal point of global efforts forsustained and predictable productivity.c. 66d. 69SouthAmericaClick anywhere on the map. This will return you to the One Shared Ocean homepage. (Note, thetwo maps at the top of this page may be slow to load or may not display.)Antarctic LMEThe Antarctic LME is a unique subsystem of the world ocean. It centers on the Antarctic landmass, circumscribed by the oscillating Antarctic Convergence (Figure 1). The AntarcticConvergence is a dynamic boundary, also called the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone, where inorthward-flowing Antarctic waters sink beneath the relatively warmer waters of the sub-Antarctic (the region located immediately north of the Antarctic region). References to thegeography of Antarctica are presented in Figure 2.FalklandIslandsAntarctic CircleRonneloe ShedWestAntarcticaCOS 8-1-SP22Roson ShefAntarctic Convergence-AfricaEastAntarcticaCOS 8-2-SP22KerguelenNewZealandFigure 1. The Atlantic Convergence marks the northers boundary of the Atlantis SOUTHAMERICAMSouth Atlantic OceanSeaScotiaSeaBellingshauseneraAmundsenSeaSouth Pacific OceanWeddSeaJanuary to Februaryb. August to Septemberc. October to NovemberSouthern OceanDronning Mauda very lowb. lowc. medium& highe. very highhe EAST ANTARCTICAWESTANTARCTICARowsShafRoss Seaa. Weddell Sea4b. Southern Oceanc. Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic OceansSouthern Ocean(AFRICA)Enderlyd(AUSTRALIA)Figure 2. Geographic references for Antarctica. [NSIDCUniversity of ColoradoBoulder)DavisSe2. From the One Share Ocean homepage, click on "Click here to choose an LME" at the upperright and select "61 Antarctica." Scroll down and click on "Productivity." The graph showsthat the maximum chlorophyll-a concentration over the period of a year occurs from(Scroll over the graph to see monthly data.)IndianOceanThe presence of chlorophyll-a indicates the rate of organic matter synthesized from inorganicsubstances. The greater the concentration, the greater the production of biomass. Consequently, itcan be assumed that the maximum productivity takes place during the Southern Hemispheresummer3. The Antarctic Convergence (Figure 1) separates the cold and slightly lower-salinity oceanwater surrounding the Antarctica land mass from relatively warmer and higher-salinity waterat lower latitudes. Found between about 48°S and 60'S, its location approximates thesouthern boundary(ies) of the The exact position varies seasonally, affected bywinds, currents, and ocean conditions.COS 8-4-SP22The Antarctic Convergence marks an important climate boundary between both water massesand air masses. Characterized by extreme weather conditions and the impacts of Antarctica'sfreshwater ice cap, the Antarctic LME is like none other on Earth, especially the ecological andbiological characteristics of Antarctic species. The food chain is very short and almost entirelybased on shrimp-like crustaceans called krill. Baleen whales, seals, penguins, squid, fish, andseabirds all feed on krill.Marine species evolved to live in an ocean with a relatively narrow range of chemical andphysical characteristics. Changes in ocean chemistry have disrupted the function of ecosystemsand the normal interactions among species and, in some cases, exceed the tolerable limits ofcertain organisms. Unless those organisms are mobile and able to migrate to a more favorableenvironment, they likely will perish. Particularly interesting are changes in ocean chemistry thatare linked to changes in the global carbon cycle and climate.Gulf of Mexico LMEReturn to One Shared Ocean, click on "Click here to choose an LME" and select "05 Gulf ofMexico. Scroll down and click on "Pollution." Read about the Nutrient ratio, Nitrogen load andMerged Indicator, as well as the following information about nitrogen and nutrients4. The risk level in the Gulf of Mexico for outrient ratio, nitrogen load, and merged nutrients ismostlyWhen excess nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, enter coastal surfacewaters they spur algal blooms. Algal blooms metabolize much of the oxygen in the water and, asthey die off, they sink to the floor and their mass decomposition further depletes the oxygencreating a dead zone in bottom or near-bottom waters with fatally low concentrations of oxygen.This creates a hypoxic (low oxygen) or anasic (no oxygen) environment. There are nowestimated to be over 400 dead zones worldwide, mostly seasonal.

Currently, there are 64 LMEs identified around the world. So the correct answer is 64.

AMS Large Marine Ecosystems (L.MEs) are defined as relatively broad ocean ecosystems (200,000 km² or 77,220 mi?, or greater) as well as the adjoining coastal regions stretching from river basins and estuaries toward the breaks of continental shelves or the margins of well-defined current systems. LMEs have higher primary productivity than the open ocean and are identified based on similarities in physical and biological systems, including (1) bottom depth contours, (2) currents and water mass structure, (3) marine productivity, and (4) trophically dependent populations (food webs). CURRENT OCEAN STUDIES 8 Large Marine Ecosystems By international consensus, LMEs are identified as organizational units to facilitate management and governance strategies. NOAA has adopted the LME as the basic unit to implement an ecosystem approach to the management of marine resources and is currently used in many LMES worldwide to introduce scientific methods for marine ecosystem observing, analysis, assessment, and resource management. Eleven LMEs are located in U.S. coastal and ocean waters. To leam details about LMEs, go to http://onesharedocean.org/Imes/introduction. One Shared Ocean is an international effort, of which NOAA is a core partner, to share information among all nations. LMES. LMES produce 1. The map on the LME introduction page identifies a total of 80% or more of the world's fish catch, making them the focal point of global efforts for sustained and predictable productivity. a. 61 b. 64 c. 66 d. 69 Click anywhere on the map. This will return you to the One Shared Ocean homepage. (Note, the two maps at the top of this page may be slow to load or may not display.) Antarctic LME The Antarctic LME is a unique subsystem of the world ocean. It centers on the Antarctic land mass, circumscribed by the oscillating Antarctic Convergence (Figure 1). The Antarctic Convergence is a dynamic boundary, also called the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone, where northward-flowing Antarctic waters sink beneath the relatively warmer waters of the sub- Antarctic (the region located immediately north of the Antarctic region). References to the geography of Antarctica are presented in Figure 2.