Four Seas

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/four-seas

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 geopolitical significance?Major global shipping routes, contested maritime boundaries, and strategic military importance
2. What is the biodiversity?High marine biodiversity, including critical fishing grounds, coral reefs, and endangered species
3. Why is the South China Sea important?It is a busy shipping lane where many ships travel, and several countries have claims on its waters.
4. How do the Four Seas help people?They provide fish for food, support fishing jobs, and contain oil and gas that help power the world.

UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS): An international treaty that defines maritime zones, rights, and responsibilities of nations at sea.
Eutrophication: Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.
Maritime History: The study of human interaction with the sea, including exploration, trade, warfare, and cultural development.
Oceanography: The scientific study of the oceans, including their physical and chemical properties, life, and geological features.