Ascophyllum

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

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/ascophyllum

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. What is the scientific name?Ascophyllum nodosum
2. What is the diet?Autotrophic; derives energy via photosynthesis, utilizing dissolved inorganic nutrients and sunlight
3. What does Ascophyllum nodosum look like?It has long, strap‑like fronds that can reach up to one meter. The fronds have many round, air‑filled bladders that make it look knotted.
4. Why does it have air‑filled bladders?The bladders give the seaweed buoyancy so it stays upright in the water. This helps it get enough light for photosynthesis.

Phaeophyceae: A class of multicellular brown algae, characterized by pigments that give them a brownish hue.
Pneumatocysts: Gas-filled bladders found in some seaweeds that provide buoyancy.
Eulittoral Zone: The intertidal zone, specifically the area between the high tide mark and the low tide mark.