Students Answer Humpback Whale Challenge Question #2
"What is "upwelling" and how does upwelling affect the ocean food chains?"

From: FLORIDA
Upwelling is when cold, nutrient rich water rises up from deep in the ocean to near the surface. Because it is nutrient rich, there is more food for whales to eat.
OHS Science Lab (ohssci@gnv.fdt.net)

From: NEW YORK
Tara, Heather, Joyce, Tom, and Melissa of Ms. Lobb's period 5 class from Hudson Falls Middle School, Hudson Falls, New York answer:
Upwelling is the movement of deeper, cooler, and often nutrient-rich layers of ocean water to the surface.The nutrients come to the top of the water. The plankton and otherfish go to the top of the water surface to eat the nutrients and while the fish are up there eating the whale comes from below, opens his mouth, and eats the fish. The humpback whale will not eat fish from the bottom of the water it is living in.

Ms. Lobb's period 5 class from Hudson Falls Middle School, Hudson Falls, New York answers: Upwelling is the movement of deeper, cooler and often nutrient-rich layers of ocean water to the surface. Whales eat at the surface of the water so if the fish and krill go up for nutrients, the whales would get more food.
Hudson Falls Middle School (hfmiddle@global2000.net)

From:MAINE
Dear Journey North,
We think upwelling is when the surface of the water gets pushed away by wind. And the water on the bottom which is filled with nutrients fills in the surface water. When the plankton gets all the nutrients from the bottom so the plankton starts to grow very fast, then the whales eat the plankton. From Emily, Jeff, Lucy, and Kelly at Pemetic School in Southwest Harbor
Fran Howley (grade5fh@pemetic.u98.k12.me.us)

From: randolph@diamond.nb.net
Upwelling: In the ocean, minerals, detritus, bits of shells, and dead organisms constantly drift down to the ocean floor. An upwelling of cold water carries them back up to the surface where they provide plankton and zooplankton, with nourishment. The phytoplankton and zooplankton, in turn, nourishment other kind of life. This is why areas of upwelling often have abundant sea life.
Info: Discover Works
Silver Burdett Ginn Science by:Sneha Thamotharan
Grade 5 Moss Side Middle School

From: PENNSYLVANIA
Upwelling is the movement/distribution of food in the ocean that influences the ammount of nutrients into coastal waters and greatly increases the production of food for many marine organisms. It affects the ocean food chains by making different animals go to different places for different foods that each individual animal eats. My full name is Ashley Lynn Hawkins. I'm 12 years old and in the seventh grade. The reason I choose to do this research about whales is because they always been my favorite animal. I like the Orca's the most because to me they are the most interesting marine animal. I collect whale items such as books, shirts, pictures, and I even have a tape which has a recording of whales.
--Ashley Hawkins
Ms. Heilman's
7th grade Gifted Class
userid@oak.kcsd.k12.pa.us

From: ILLINOIS
Our answer to the question is that an upwelling is an upward flow of water that is rich in nutrients. It also brings a good population of fish(plankton)to feed on these nutrients.So we think that since the nutrients brings the fish,that it will also bring the whales, and they will eat the fish.
Sincerly,
Mckenna, Ali,Ben, Andre',and Caitlin
Dr. Howard Elementary School
Champaign, Il 61821
Cheryll Douglas (douglach@cmi.k12.il.us)

From: TENNESSEE
Dear Anne,
Hi from Maryville, Tennessee. Upwellings are cold, dense water that moves upward toward the surface. They are caused by blowing winds pushing surface water away from the area. When this happens, large amounts of cold, dense water from deep in the ocean rise to the surface. Upwellings carry nutrient-rich water into the mixed layer. Living things are abundant in upwellings because they feed upon these nutrients. These nutrient rich waters provide for many varied and numerous food chains. Sincerely,
Mrs. McGinley's Science Classes
Lisa McGinley (MCGINLEYL@ci.maryville.tn.us)

From: ARKANSAS
Some particles of nutrients get carried by currents until they reach a certain destination.Then the warm water rises bringing up the nutrients,and then the whales and other organisms come and have a feast.
Joseph Ramos Gloria Edwards (GEDWARDS@cps.wsc.k12.ar.us)