Sargasso Sea

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/sargasso-sea

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. How big is the Sargasso Sea?Approximately 1,100 km (680 miles) in width
2. What is the location?North Atlantic Ocean, defined by the North Atlantic Gyre
3. What is the defining characteristic?The only sea in the world without any land boundaries
4. Why does the Sargasso Sea have such clear water?Because it is far from land and the currents keep the water clean, giving visibility of up to 60 meters.
5. What is Sargassum and why is it important?Sargassum is floating brown seaweed that makes mats on the ocean surface. These mats give shelter, food, and a place to lay eggs for many fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and even marine mammals.

Pelagic Zone: The open ocean water column, away from the coast and seafloor.
North Atlantic Gyre: A large system of rotating ocean currents in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Benthic: Relating to or occurring at the bottom of a body of water.
Primary Producer: An organism that produces its own food, usually through photosynthesis, forming the base of a food web.