Phoenix Islands Protected Area

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/phoenix-islands-protected-area

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. Where is Phoenix Islands Protected Area?Central Pacific Ocean, within the Republic of Kiribati
2. How big is Phoenix Islands Protected Area?158,400 square miles (410,500 square kilometers)
3. How many people live in Phoenix Islands Protected Area?Approximately 40 permanent residents on Kanton and Enderbury islands
4. What is the key marine habitats?Extensive coral reefs, supporting over 500 fish species and 100 shark species
5. What is the avian significance?Critical breeding ground for approximately 1.5 million seabirds of 19 species
6. Why is PIPA so special for fish and turtles?The area has one of the biggest coral reefs in the world, with over 500 kinds of fish and more than 100 species of sharks. It also is a nursery for five kinds of sea turtles, including the endangered green and hawksbill turtles.

Marine Biodiversity: The variety of life found within the ocean, including different species, ecosystems, and genetic diversity.
Coral Bleaching: The expulsion of symbiotic algae by corals due to stress, often caused by rising ocean temperatures, leading to coral whitening.
Ocean Acidification: The ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
No-Take Zone: A designated area within a marine protected area where all forms of fishing and extraction are prohibited.