Marine ecosystem

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

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/marine-ecosystem

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 ecological significance?Crucial for climate regulation, food security, and supporting global economies
2. What is the primary threats?Overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, climate change, and ocean acidification
3. Why are marine ecosystems important?They help regulate the climate, produce oxygen, and cycle nutrients. They also give food and jobs to many people through fishing and tourism.
4. How do marine ecosystems stay healthy?Healthy ecosystems have balanced food webs with producers like phytoplankton and animals like sharks that keep prey numbers in check. They also need clean water and good habitats.

Pelagic zone: The open ocean water column, away from the coast and seafloor, inhabited by free-swimming organisms.
Benthic zone: The ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water, including the sediment surface and sub-surface layers.
Chemosynthesis: The process by which organisms use chemical energy, rather than light energy, to produce food, often occurring in deep-sea vents.
Ocean acidification: A decrease in the pH of the ocean caused by the absorption of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide, impacting marine life.