Alboran Sea

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/alboran-sea

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is the Alboran Sea?Approximately 15,000 square miles (39,000 square kilometers)
2. What is the connecting waterway?The Strait of Gibraltar, linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean
3. What is the coastal countries?Spain, Morocco, Algeria
4. Why does the Alboran Sea have different water layers?Warm, salty water from the Mediterranean flows down into the Atlantic, while cooler, less salty Atlantic water comes up. This mixing creates a less salty surface layer and a saltier, warmer layer below.
5. How do animals use the Alboran Sea?It is a feeding and breeding ground for fish, seabirds, dolphins, and whales. Many species also travel through it on their way between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

Mediterranean Outflow: The dense, salty, and warm water from the Mediterranean Sea flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.
Atlantic Inflow: The less dense, cooler, and less saline water from the Atlantic Ocean entering the Mediterranean Sea.
Alboran Gyre: A large, semi-permanent ocean current eddy found in the Alboran Sea, influencing water mass movement.
Endemic Species: Organisms that are native and restricted to a particular geographic area, found nowhere else.