Mediterranean cetaceans

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/mediterranean-cetaceans

1. What kinds of whales and dolphins live in the Mediterranean Sea?
2. Why is the Corso‑Liguro‑Provençal basin a special place for whales and dolphins?

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 kinds of whales and dolphins live in the Mediterranean Sea?In the Mediterranean, eight common species live, including the Fin Whale, Sperm Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin, Common Dolphin, Short‑beaked Dolphin, Risso’s Dolphin, Long‑finned Pilot Whale, and Cuvier’s Beaked Whale.
2. Why is the Corso‑Liguro‑Provençal basin a special place for whales and dolphins?This area has strong upwelling and varied sea floor shapes that bring lots of food, making it a biodiversity hotspot for many cetaceans.

Assemblage: A collection or gathering of different species in a particular area.
Anthropogenic: Originating from human activity, especially environmental pollution.
Pelagos Sanctuary: A large marine protected area in the Mediterranean Sea established for the conservation of cetaceans and other marine fauna.
Semi-enclosed sea: A sea that is almost entirely surrounded by land, with limited connection to the open ocean.