There are a few things more ubiquitous about the Pacific Northwest than rain and coffee. But now a new study suggests that this could be a deadly combination for the region’s marine life, reports National Geographic. Scientists have found that the coastal waters off the coast of Oregon and Washington are brimming with elevated levels of caffeine. Though it’s still unclear exactly what effect this may have on local marine ecosystems, the findings raise concerns that human waste contaminants are entering the region’s natural water systems. Of course, it doesn’t help that the region is also known for its rain and large volume of runoff
After reading the article "Caffeinated Seas found off Pacific Northwest" by Brian Handwerk and "Caffeine is Ocean Water" by Elise Granek, try to answer the following questions using the knowledge acquired in the first seven lectures of the course.
Do you think is easy to detect caffeine in the shore that in the Pelagic Zone? Explain why.
Do you think marine currents are connected in anyway with the detection of caffeine levels in the coastline?
So far the article indicates that caffeine has been detected in the epipelagic zone of the continental shelf. Do you think that there is a possibility that this caffeine will find its way to the abyssal plains? Please surprise me with a"caffeinated" hypothesis.