Download Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots

in collaboration with Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge
Education
© Sophie Webb
Grade Level
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6-8, with options for 9-12.
Timeframe
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Three 45-minute class periods
Materials
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Student worksheets
Albatross and bathymetry maps
Lesson 3 Presentation
Use of Google Maps (optional)
Key Words
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Bathymetry
Photosynthesis
Upwelling
Decomposition
Albatross Hotspots
Marine Protected Area
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean
Hotspots
Activity Summary
Just as on land, the ocean’s floor has many diverse features,
including mountains, hills, canyons, and plains. The prevailing wind
patterns and the underlying seafloor features influence horizontal and
vertical water movements, which in turn affect ocean productivity
(how much organic matter is created by primary producers through
photosynthesis). In this lesson, students will review common
bathymetric features in the ocean and will examine the movements of
albatross with respect to water depth and seafloor contours.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Identify common seafloor features.
• Interpret contour maps.
• Analyze albatross movements in relation to seafloor features.
• Explain the concept of a hotspot of animal activity.
• Discuss protections for North Pacific Ocean hotspots.
Outline
Engage – Imagining the Seafloor
Explore – Identifying Seafloor Features
Explain – Upwelling and Phytoplankton
Elaborate – National Marine Sanctuaries
Evaluate – Seafloor Features and Upwelling
Background Information
The ocean floor is home to earth’s highest
mountains, widest plains, and other diverse
features. Along the edge of the continents is a flat
shallow area known as the continental shelf. Hills
on the continental shelf are known as banks. The
shelf “breaks” at a steep decline known as the
continental slope, which extends down to the
seafloor, also known as the abyssal plain. Midocean ridges are underwater mountain ranges
where tectonic plates are diverging. At trenches,
the plates are converging, creating the deepest
areas of the ocean. Volcanic activity on the
seafloor results in the formation of seamounts
(underwater mountains) and islands, (reaching
above the ocean’s surface). The study of depth and
seafloor features is known as bathymetry.
Much of the ocean is essentially a desert; the
abundance of living things is very sparse. Ocean
productivity is limited by light and nutrient
availability, and sunlight can only reach the top
250 meters of the water column. The ocean’s
major primary producers are photosynthesizing
microbes known as phytoplankton.
Phytoplankton have short life cycles and reproduce
quickly when enough nutrients, such as nitrate and
Vocabulary
BATHYMETRY – the study of ocean depth and
underwater topography
SEAMOUNT – a mountain on the seafloor
BANK – undersea hill on the continental shelf
CONTINENTAL SHELF – shallow area found on the
edges of continents
CONTINENTAL SLOPE – steep land area between
the shallow continental shelf and the deep abyssal plain
ABYSSAL PLAIN – the flat base of the seafloor
2
iron, are available. Nutrients are made available to
ecosystems by the work of decomposers. In the
ocean, however, living organisms sink when they
die, and decompose at great depths (over 250 m).
Therefore, these precious nutrients are not always
available near the surface.
Ocean water is constantly in motion, due to the
action of tides and currents. The water circulates
among ocean basins and its movement is influenced
by wind patterns and bathymetry. For instance, when
steady winds moves surface water away from the
coast, it is replaced by water from down below that
is cold and nutrient-rich, a process known as
upwelling. Upwelling also occurs along abrupt
bathymetric features, such as continental shelves and
slopes and at seamounts, which interrupt and redirect
the flow towards the surface and cause mixing.
Areas of upwelling fuel phytoplankton growth,
providing more energy to the ecosystem. Therefore,
upwelling zones tend to be incredibly productive,
supporting rich food webs. Albatross, for instance,
are known to travel thousands of miles to feed in
productive upwelling areas along the coast of Alaska
and California.
If you have not completed Lessons 1 & 2, consider
reviewing some of the background information on
seabirds and their movements with your students.
ATOLL – a ring-shaped area of coral around an island or
seamount
HOTSPOT – an area where organisms are observed very
often
UPWELLING – the movement of nutrient-rich water from
depth to the surface
PRODUCTIVITY – the amount of organic matter produced
by primary produces using nutrients and light
PHYTOPLANKTON – photosynthesizing microbes
DECOMPOSITION – the breakdown of dead organisms into
simpler elements by the action of bacteria
Preparation
Make a copy of the handouts “Albatross
Bathymetry Tracking Maps” for each pair of
students. There are four bathymetric maps
highlighting a seamount, Japan trench, Alaska
shelf/slope, and California shelf/slope. Divide
these maps evenly among groups of students.
(See example below.)
Lesson 2 is highly recommended if mapping or
wildlife satellite tracking are unfamiliar topics.
Photo by Sophie Webb
3
Discuss some of these features with students.
Example:
?
Learning Procedure
?
Direct students to answer Question 1 on their student
worksheet.
Have several students share their ideas with the class.
Be aware that it is a common misconception that the
seafloor is flat. Do not correct student ideas at this
time.
(65 minutes)
Show slides of the Pacific Ocean and other ocean
basins provided in the presentation. Alternatively,
use Google Maps (www.maps.google.com), click on
“satellite” view in the upper right, and then scroll so
that the map is centered on the Pacific Ocean or other
ocean basin of interest. Explain to students that they
are looking at the seafloor, which is covered by up to
6 miles of water.
As you show students the images, point out specific
places, (e.g., Alaska, Baja California, Hawai‘i), to
help students orient themselves.
Give students a few minutes to observe the seafloor
and to record their observations in Question 2 of the
Student Worksheet.
Have students share their ideas. If using Google
Maps, zoom in on specific features to observe them
more closely. In addition, the presentation shows
zoomed-in images of several features, including the
Hawaiian Islands and associated seamounts, the
continental shelf off of California and Alaska, etc.
4
Describe the features that you see. Do any
of them look like features you see on land?
The seafloor is not flat. There are
mountains, hills, valleys, and plains, very
similar to features that we see on land.
What does the majority of the seafloor
looks like?
Much of the seafloor is flat, but there are
lots of bumps.
As a class, read the short paragraph on the
student worksheet.
Moving forward in the presentation, show
students the labeled pictures of different seafloor
features. Remind students that the depths given
are the vertical distances from the ocean surface.
a) seamount – volcanic mountains rising
from the abyssal plains, but under the
waves
b) bank – an undersea hill on the continental
shelf
c) continental shelf – shallow areas on the
edges of continents (0 – 200 m deep)
d) continental slope – steep “drop off”
between the continental shelf and the
abyssal plain (200 – 2,000 m deep)
e) abyssal plain – the flat base of the ocean
basin (2,000 m and deeper)
Extension
Students should draw a sketch and write a
description of each seafloor feature in
Question 3 on their worksheet.
Discuss:
?
?
Identify local or well-known land features
for scale – what hill or mountain nearby is
200 m or 1000 m high?
What do you think seafloor features have
to do with albatross movements?
Accept all answers at this point. Many
students will likely believe that since
albatross are seabirds that fly above the
water, that bathymetry will not affect them.
Share some of the albatross hotspots as a class.
Use the slides of the maps and invite students to
come to the board to point to areas that they found.
For the seamount question, project the seamount
map up on the board for students who did not
analyze the seamount map originally.
Read the Ocean Productivity and Food passage as
a class and discuss it as you go. If you have not
completed Lesson 1, provide students with some
background information on albatross.
Divide students into pairs or groups of three.
Provide each pair with one of the photocopied
albatross tracking maps. Several pairs will have the
same map to work on. Each partner should count
the dots and then compare findings.
They should follow instructions on the student
worksheet in order to analyze albatross movements
with respect to bathymetry.
Assist students in identifying areas of shallow and
deep water on the shaded contour maps, and
making calculations, as directed on the student
worksheet. One way to do this is to work through
some sample counts on the board.
Differentiation: Have students illustrate
each paragraph to build understanding of
the content.
Discuss:
?
Create a class data table on the board, and invite pairs
write in their data. Then calculate averages for shallow
and deep water.
Differentiation: To reduce the difficulty,
do the calculations as a class.
?
How would you describe upwelling in your
own words?
The vertical movement of water from depth
to more shallow depths. The deep water
contains lots of nutrients. Upwelling makes
these nutrients available to primary
producers living in the sunlit waters close to
the ocean surface.
Why is upwelling important?
Upwelling makes nutrients available to
primary producers, which use sunlight to
produce the organic matter that supports
the entire ecosystem.
(35 minutes)
Review students’ findings from the data table on
the board, as well as their hypotheses as to why the
animals might spend more time in certain areas.
Work through the questions first in student pairs,
then as a class.
5
?
Why do phytoplankton matter to albatross,
which do not eat them directly?
Phytoplankton (primary producers) produce
organic matter via photosynthesis, which is
eaten by zooplankton (grazers). These
organisms are then eaten by other predators
(fish, whales, birds). This way, the energy
contained in the organic matter is passed on
and used through the food web. Thus,
albatross eat the squid that ate the
zooplankton that ate the phytoplankton.
Direct students to answer the questions with a
partner. Then, review the answers as a class,
referring back to the hotspots identified near
seamounts and / or continental slopes.
(20 minutes)
Show the slide that highlights some of the U.S.
National Marine Sanctuaries and Monuments in
the Pacific Ocean basin.
Discuss what students are seeing:
?
?
?
?
How do the areas of protection compare to
the size of the whole ocean?
Very little of the ocean is protected area.
Differentiation: To reduce difficulty, read the
passages aloud as a class. Have advanced
students read the entire passage and complete
the data table.
Review the questions as a class. Invite groups to
share their suggested areas for creation of national
marine sanctuaries with the class. If applicable,
explain that students will learn more about threats
to albatross in future lessons.
Because many people use and rely on our ocean,
kai, for many reasons, conflicts may arise amongst
different users accessing the same resources.
Be sure that students understand the competing
priorities of different users and interest groups. For
instance, oil and gas companies would likely
oppose the creation of a marine protected area in a
location where they planned to drill. Fishers would
oppose a no-fishing marine protected area in a
productive fishing ground. On the other hand,
conservationists would support their creation.
(Homework)
Which NMS is closest to us?
Answers will vary.
Why might oceanic areas need protection?
Many human activities can have negative
impacts on marine life.
What are some human activities that could
affect seabirds?
Accept all answers at this time. They may
include fishing, pollution, egg poaching, etc.
Direct students to read the passages “Protecting
6
Ocean Habitats” and “National Marine Sanctuaries
near the West Coast” on the student worksheet,
and to complete the data table and answer the
questions that follow. To save time. assign each
student or small group 1-2 NMS and then to share
their findings with other groups.
Direct students to complete the Evaluate section of
the student worksheet.
Extension
View NOAA’s video lesson about seamounts.
http://www.montereyinstitute.org/noaa/
Resources
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Animation of growing phytoplankton:
http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/hab/habs_toxin
s/phytoplankton/images/AlgalGrowth_Revi
sed2.swf
•
Online land and ocean topography zoom
tool:
http://www.oceanmotion.org/html/resource
s/etopo.htm
•
Learn to pronounce Papahānaumokuākea:
http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/about
/name.html
Credits and More Information
This lesson was developed for NOAA’s Cordell
Bank National Marine Sanctuary and
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument,
by Meghan Marrero of Mercy College and
Oikonos - Ecosystem Knowledge. This lesson
cannot be used for commercial purposes.
Permission is hereby granted for the reproduction,
without alteration, of this lesson for educational
use only on the condition its source is
acknowledged. When reproducing this lesson,
please cite NOAA’s Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries and Oikonos - Ecosystem Knowledge
as the source, and provide the websites below.
Data integrated into these lessons were provided
courtesy of Michelle Hester (Oikonos), David
Hyrenbach (Hawai‘i Pacific University), Josh
Adams (USGS), and David Anderson (Wake
Forest University). Data from Tern Island, Kure
Atoll and Cordell Bank were obtained in
partnership with USFWS, State of Hawaii, and
Cordell Bank NMS.
Special contributions of paintings and photography
donated by Sophie Webb and high resolution
images of albatross bolus contents donated by
David Liittschwager.
Content created and reviewed by Meghan Marrero,
David Hyrenbach, Michelle Hester, Carol Keiper,
Jennifer Stock, and Andy Collins. Tracking and
bathymetry maps were created by Pam Michael
(Oikonos).
Graphics and design by NOAA, Tara Alvarez, and
Greg Hester. We thank the many people who
donated photographs, illustrations and video.
Some content was adapted from Oikonos'
We appreciate feedback, corrections and questions. Please email
[email protected]
Lessons and resources available at:
http://cordellbank.noaa/gov/education/teachers.html
http://papahanaumokuakea.gov/education/wa.html
http://oikonos.org/education
7
Education Standards
Ocean
Literacy
Principles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
California
Hawai‘i
8
1a. The ocean is the dominant physical feature on our planet Earth—covering approximately 70% of the planet’s
surface. There is one ocean with many ocean basins, such as the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South
Atlantic, Indian and Arctic.
1b. An ocean basin’s size, shape and features (such as islands, trenches, mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys) vary due to
the movement of Earth’ lithospheric plates. Earth’s highest peaks, deepest valleys and flattest vast plains are all in the
ocean.
1c. Throughout the ocean there is one interconnected circulation system powered by wind, tides, the force of the
Earth’s rotation (Coriolis Effect), the Sun, and water density differences. The shape of ocean basins and adjacent land
masses influence the path of circulation.
5b. Most life in the ocean exists as microbes. Microbes are the most important primary producers in the ocean. Not
only are they the most abundant life form in the ocean, they have extremely fast growth rates and life cycles.
5e. The ocean is three-dimensional, offering vast living space and diverse habitats from the surface through the water
column to the seafloor. Most of the living space on earth is in the ocean.
5f. Ocean habitats are defined by environmental factors. Due to interactions of abiotic factors such as salinity,
temperature, oxygen, pH, light, nutrients, pressure, substrate and circulation, ocean life is not evenly distributed
temporally or spatially, i.e., it is “patchy”. Some regions of the ocean support more diverse and abundant life than
anywhere on Earth, while much of the ocean is considered a desert.
6e. Humans affect the ocean in a variety of ways. Laws, regulations and resource management affect what is taken
out and put into the ocean. Human development and activity leads to pollution (such as point source, non-point source,
and noise pollution) and physical modifications (such as changes to beaches, shores and rivers). In addition, humans
have removed most of the large vertebrates from the ocean.
6g. Everyone is responsible for caring for the ocean. The ocean sustains life on Earth and humans must live in ways
that sustain the ocean. Individual and collective actions are needed to effectively manage ocean resources for all.
Grade 6:
• 4c. Students know the sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on Earth's surface; it powers winds, ocean
currents, and the water cycle.
• 5a. Students know energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by producers into chemical energy through
photosynthesis and then from organism to organism through food webs.
• 5c. Students know matter is transferred over time from one organism to others in the food web and between organisms
and the physical environment.
• 7b. Select and use appropriate tools and technology (including calculators, computers, balances, spring scales,
microscopes, and binoculars) to perform tests, collect data, and display data.
Grade 7:
• 7a. Select and use appropriate tools and technology (including calculators, computers, balances, spring scales,
microscopes, and binoculars) to perform tests, collect data, and display data.
Grades 6-8:
1. Collect, organize, analyze and display data/ information, using tools, equipment, and techniques that will help in data
collection, analysis, and interpretation.
• Develop conclusions and explanations showing the relationship between evidence and results drawn.
• Communicate and defend scientific procedure used and conclusion and explanation drawn from evidence.
• Give examples where scientists used mathematics and technology to gather, quantify, and analyze results of an
investigation.
2. Give an example of the interdependence of science, technology, and society and how it changed the course of history.
• Describe and exemplify how information and communication technologies affect research and work done in the
field of science.
3. Explain how methods for obtaining and using resources such as water, minerals, and fossil fuel have consequences on
the environment.
5. Illustrate and explain the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in
a food web.
6. Explain how plants use the energy from sunlight and matter from the atmosphere to make food that can be used for fuel
or building materials.
7. Relate how changes in the environment can affect the survival of individual organisms and entire species.
Education Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Standards
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and
populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
MS-ESS2-3. Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures
to provide evidence of the past plate motions.
Disciplinary
Core Ideas
Science &
Engineering
Practices
Crosscutting
Concepts
LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
Plants, algae (including phytoplankton), and many microorganisms use the energy from light to make
sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the process of photosynthesis, which also
releases oxygen. These sugars can be used immediately or stored for growth or later use.
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
Scale , Proportion and Quantity
Common Core State Standards
English
Language
Practices:
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Arts
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4 Model with mathematics.
Reading;
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3
Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific
scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7
Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed
visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
9
Education Standards
Common Core State Standards
English
Language
Arts
Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.B
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the
topic or text, using credible sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.D
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
Mathematics
6th Grade:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3
Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent
ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.B.5
Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context, such as by:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.B.5.A
Reporting the number of observations.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.B.5.B
Describing the nature of the attribute under investigation, including how it was measured and its units of measurement.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3.C
Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of a quantity means 30/100 times the quantity); solve problems
involving finding the whole, given a part and the percent.
7th Grade:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.SP.A.2
Use data from a random sample to draw inferences about a population with an unknown characteristic of interest. Generate
multiple samples (or simulated samples) of the same size to gauge the variation in estimates or predictions. For example,
estimate the mean word length in a book by randomly sampling words from the book; predict the winner of a school election
based on randomly sampled survey data. Gauge how far off the estimate or prediction might be.
1
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________
Engage
Think about the ocean and the seafloor.
1. Draw a sketch of what you picture when you think about the seafloor.
Answers will vary widely.
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
Explore
2. When your teacher projects the Pacific Ocean map, observe it carefully. Describe what you see.
Students should note that much of the ocean basin is a flat plain, but that there are lots of other
features as well. These features include seamounts, the continental shelf and slope, islands, etc.
Read the following:
The ocean is Earth’s final frontier. According to NOAA, the ocean’s average depth is 4.3
kilometers, which is 2.65 miles. This means that on average there are 4,300 meters, or
over 14,000 feet, of water above the seafloor. This deep and flat area of the ocean is
called the abyssal plain. Some areas, such as those along coastlines, are much shallower.
There also are underwater mountains that stretch up from the abyssal plain towards the
ocean surface. These features are called seamounts. The tops of seamounts can reach very
close to the sea surface. Other areas are much deeper. The deepest spot in the ocean is the
Mariana Trench, with a water depth of 6.8 miles or 10,924 meters, or over 35,566 feet.
Many organisms live in the ocean’s deepest areas and on its surface, but scientists are still
learning about them all. The description of the ocean’s depth and seafloor features is
called bathymetry.
2
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
3.
In the chart below, name, sketch, and describe each feature from the slides shared by your teacher.
Feature
Name
Seamount
Continental
Shelves
Sketch
Description
Depth
Mountain rising from the
deep abyssal plain
at any depth just
below the surface
to the sea floor
Flat areas near the edges of
continents
0 – 200 m
200 – 2000m
Continental Slopes
Drop offs from the continental
shelf to seafloor
Abyssal Plains
Seafloor – mostly flat
2000 m +
Banks
Undersea Hill rising from a
Continental Shelf
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
200 m to just
below the
surface
3
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
Use the Albatross Tracking and Bathymetry Maps provided by
your teacher to answer the following questions.
4. What seafloor features can you observe on your map?
Answers include: continental shelf, continental slope,
seamounts, abyssal plain, bank
5. The dots on the map indicate noon locations of tracked Black-footed Albatross. Follow the
directions for each step below, and record your findings in the data table.
a. Count the total number of dots on each map.
b. Count the number of dots located in shallow water when the birds were either over ocean
shaded 0 – 200 or shaded 200 – 2000. These shallow areas include continental shelf,
continental slope, seamounts, and banks.
c. Count the number of dots located in the deep water. These are areas with depths over 2000m,
on the abyssal plain.
6. Find the percentage of the total time that the albatross spent in both shallow vs deep water. Record
each percentage in the data table.
d. To calculate the time spent in shallow water:
e. To calculate the time spent in deep water:
4
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
Location
Counts
Total
Shallow Water
Deep Water
•
•
Number of Dots
Japan Trench 49 (including 1 dot close but not on island)
Alaska Slope 30
California Slope 40
Seamount 10 (NOT including 1 dot on the island)
Japan Trench 37
Alaska Slope 24
California Slope 25
Seamount 4
Japan Trench 10
Alaska Slope 6
California Slope 15
Seamount 6
Percentage of
Time Spent
100% (the total
amount of time)
75%
80%
62%
40%
25%
20%
38%
60%
Approximate counts for each handout (allow differences based on map interpretation).
Average percent of time tracked in shallow water was ~64% and deep water ~36%.
7. Did the albatross spend more time in shallow water or deep water? Use your data to support your
answer.
All of the sample tracks reveal birds spending more time in shallow water, except for the seamount
track. Be sure students are using data from their charts to support their answers.
8. Write your data in the class data table on the board.
9. In the North Pacific, 87% of the ocean is deep and 13% is shallow. According to the class data,
are these birds spending about 87% of their time in deep water? How do you know?
Based on the class averages, the tracked birds spent only about 35% of their time in deep water,
although deep water covers about 87% of the Pacific Ocean.
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
5
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
10. Scientists compare habitat use with habitat availability to measure “preference” and identify
“hotspots”. For instance, when you are at a restaurant, all the food on a menu is availability, and
what people order is preference. On your maps, circle any “hotspots” for your albatross. Hotspots
are areas where an albatross spent a lot of time (multiple days) or that an albatross repeatedly
visited. A “coldspot” is an area they traveled through in route to another destination but did not
stay long.
11. How can you explain your findings? Why do you think albatross select or prefer certain areas
Students may not know the answer at this point. The goal of this question is to get them thinking.
12. Seamount habitats make up approximately 5% of the sea floor. Explore the Seamount track and
count the number of locations over the Kammut Guyot feature. Does the albatross spend more than
5% of its time on top of this seamount? If so, why?
This albatross spent 40% of its time over the seamount.
The Kammut Guyot seamount was closer to this bird’s nest on Kure Atoll than other
productive features such as the shelf/slope habitats.
6
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
Explain
Ocean Productivity and Food
You are now very familiar with seafloor features, such as
seamounts and continental shelves and slopes. You have also
identified areas that albatross visit over and over again. Seafloor
features can affect how much food is available in different areas.
Albatross take advantage of this.
Diatoms are one of the most
common types of phytoplankton.
Food provides both energy and nutrients. Imagine you are eating a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato
on a bun. In each bite, you are getting protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins (like Vitamins A and C) and
minerals (like calcium and potassium). The food gives you the energy you need to do your life activities,
like walking, breathing, and pumping your blood. The nutrients are used for life activities and to build
body structures, including muscles and bones.
Both energy and nutrients can be hard to get in the ocean. Almost all of the energy available to ocean
organisms comes from the sun. Tiny plant-like organisms called phytoplankton capture the sun’s
energy. They use the sun’s energy to create sugar in a process called photosynthesis.
Phytoplankton make fats and oils. These compounds store the sugar, or chemical energy. Ocean grazers
eat the sugars and fats, just like cows or grasshoppers eat plants on land. The grazers are then eaten by
other predators, like squid and small fish, which receive the energy and nutrients. But, the sun only
lights the top layer of the ocean (photic zone). Therefore, organisms living in deep water must travel to
the surface to eat or get energy from the organisms living in the sunlit areas above them. Luckily for
them, dead organisms and other waste (poop, skeletons) sink down. Deep ocean organisms eat these
materials for their energy.
Like you, phytoplankton need nutrients for their life activities, including photosynthesis. Land plants,
which also do photosynthesis, get their nutrients from the soil. Soil is made up of pieces of rock and
broken-down plant material. The remains of living organisms are broken down by decomposition.
Decomposition makes the nutrients in the dead organisms available in the soil. In the ocean, when
organisms die, they sink deeper into the water. Decomposition happens in the deep water. That means
that the nutrients become available where there is no sunlight. Remember, though, that phytoplankton
live near the ocean’s surface because they need sunlight. Therefore, the nutrients from decomposition
are not available to them.
In certain areas of the ocean, however, deep water containing lots of nutrients is brought up to the
surface, where phytoplankton live. This process is called upwelling.
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
7
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
Credit: NOAA
Upwelling can happen for several reasons. Some upwelling is caused by the makani, the wind. When
wind consistently blows parallel to a coastline, it pushes water away from the coast. This movement
pulls up nutrient-rich water from down below (about 100 - 200 m deep) to replace the water at the
surface. This type of upwelling occurs along the West Coast of the U.S. and many other coastlines.
Water moves up the continental slope and onto the continental shelf. Upwelling can also happen in the
open ocean, when deep-water currents encounter a seamount. Water flowing around a large obstacle,
like an underwater mountain, will be pushed upwards and mix the nutrients into the surface
waters. These are the two reasons why upwelling often happens near continental slopes and near
seamounts.
Upwelling gives lots of nutrients to phytoplankton. These tiny organisms photosynthesize and reproduce
very quickly. Phytoplankton are eaten by other organisms, which also get eaten by larger predators.
Energy and nutrients are passed to organisms higher up the food chain, including mōlī (Laysan
albatross), koholā (whales), and honu (sea turtles). Lots of phytoplankton means that lots of energy and
nutrients are available to the ecosystem.
13. How might areas of upwelling affect albatross?
Upwelling brings needed nutrients up from deep water, which fuel phytoplankton growth. In turn,
the plankton fuel the food chain, providing lots of feeding opportunities for albatross and other
marine life
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Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
14. Were the hotspots that you identified areas in which you would expect upwelling? How do you
know?
According to the text above, upwelling occurs near continental shelves and slopes, where wind
blowing along a coastline can push water offshore and cause upwelling. Around seamounts.
upwelling occurs when deep water currents encounter this geologic obstacle.
Elaborate
Protecting Ocean Habitats
United States National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine Monuments are often compared with National
Parks because they protect underwater treasures. These treasures include marine animal habitats and
important cultural areas like shipwrecks.
National Marine Sanctuaries and Monuments are marine protected areas (MPAs). Creating MPAs is
one of the ways in which we can care for, mālama, our ocean, kai. In our studies of albatross, we will
focus on some of the sanctuaries and monuments in the Pacific Ocean.
15.
Read the following passage, which introduces some of the Marine Protected Areas in the Pacific
Ocean. In the data table, take notes about each.
Marine Protected
Areas
Description of
Location
Important Facts / Ideas
(Answers will vary)
Olympic Coast NMS
Coast of WA state
Protects kelp forests, deep water corals, and
shipwrecks.
Cordell Bank NMS
on the continental shelf
north of San Francisco
Protects a bank on the continental shelf that his
home to cold-water corals, fish, and more
Gulf of the Farallones
NMS
Monterey Bay NMS
near Farallon Islands
near San Francisco
off central Coast of
California
Channel Islands off of
Southern California
Protects a variety of ecosystems including open
ocean, reefs, and wetlands.
Only MPA to protect a seamount. Also protects a
canyon and kelp forest.
Protects diverse ecosystems including sandy
bottom, rocky reef, and kelp forest.
Near main Hawaiian
Islands
Northwest Hawaiian
Islands
Protects breeding ground for humpback whales
Channel Islands NMS
Hawaiian Humpback
Whale NMS
Papahānaumokuākea
MNM
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
Protects culturally and biologically important
areas.
9
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS) and Marine Monument near the
West Coast and Hawai‘i
Along the coast of Washington State is the Olympic Coast NMS, which protects lush kelp forests, deep
water corals, and over 150 shipwrecks. The sanctuary covers over 3,000 square miles of ocean, and
includes productive waters important for marine mammals such as sea otters and orcas, and seabirds
including albatross and gulls.
The Cordell Bank NMS is named for a rocky habitat, or “bank”, that sticks up above the sandy
seafloor. This bank is home to cold-water corals, algae, fish, and many other organisms. Marine
mammals and seabirds, such as whales, seals and sea lions, murres, albatross and shearwaters, frequent
this sanctuary to feed themselves and their young. The sanctuary protects 529 square miles of waters
northwest of San Francisco.
Located near Cordell Bank and just beyond the city of San Francisco is the Gulf of Farallones NMS,
named for its location near the Farallon Islands. The sanctuary protects several different ecosystems
including wetlands, the open ocean and reefs, within it’s nearly 1,300 square miles of waters. Like
Cordell Bank, the Gulf of the Farallones NMS is located in very productive waters that provide food for
many seabirds and marine mammals.
Monterey Bay NMS covers over 6,000 square miles of ocean and is home to numerous marine
mammals, seabirds, fish, plants, and invertebrates such as sea stars, anemones, and corals. It includes
one of the largest kelp forests and near-shore underwater canyons in the United States. Also, it protects
the Davidson Seamount, the only seamount inside a NMS. It is located off the Central Coast of
California.
In Southern California, one finds the Channel Islands NMS. This sanctuary protects the Santa Barbara
Channel and areas surrounding the Channel Islands. Protected ecosystems include rocky intertidal, kelp
forests, rocky reefs, sandy bottom and open ocean. Species include over 60 types of seabirds, many
invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals. Channel Islands NMS protects 1,500 square miles of ocean.
The Hawaiian Humpback Whale NMS is found in the warm waters near the main Hawaiian Islands. It
protects an important breeding ground for humpback whales, which are affected by human activities
including collisions with boats, entanglement in fishing gear, noise pollution, and water quality issues.
North of the main Hawaiian Islands lies the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, or, ancestral islands, of the
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (pronounced Pa-pa-hah-now-mo-koo-ah-keh-ah).
This Monument protects 140,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean. Habitats protected include coral
reefs, open ocean, and sandy beaches. Over 7,000 marine species make their homes within the
Monument.
U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries protect ocean areas by limiting pollution, damage to coral and rocky
seabeds, and some extractive activities such as oil drilling. The National Marine Monument can also
restrict fishing and recreational boating. Papahānaumokuākea also protects important cultural areas for
Native Hawaiians.
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Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
16.
Answer the following questions based on the information above and your data table:
a. Which is the largest national marine sanctuary or monument?
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
b. Which national marine sanctuary or monument is most interesting to you? Why?
Answers will vary. Be sure students support their answers with evidence from the text.
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
11
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
Albatross are very vulnerable to human activities. These seabirds are often accidentally snared on fish
hooks. They can also be tangled in fishing line. Other pollutants, including plastic trash and oil spills,
can affect their nutrition and health.
17. Based on the albatross hotspots you identified, draw an area in which you would recommend
creating a protected area specifically to protect albatross.
Answers will vary. Discuss students’ suggestions as a class.
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Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
18.
Why would creating a national marine sanctuary to protect albatross be a challenge? What human
activities might conflict with an area like this? Why?
Many human activities occur in the ocean. Some of these are compatible with MPAs, and others
are not. Activities include fishing, recreational boating, shipping, oil/gas drilling, swimming.
Stake-holders would have different perspectives on what the new MPA would mean for them.
Evaluate
Return to your sketch in Question 1.
1.
What do you think about this sketch now?
Answers will vary, but the goal is that students now see seafloor features as more diverse and
important to marine organisms.
Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots
13
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________
2. Draw a new sketch of the seafloor, including features that you are now more familiar with. Label
these features.
Features may include trenches, seamounts, continental slopes or shelves.
3. Which features might result in upwelling?
All of the above mentioned, except for trenches.
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Lesson 3: Protecting Ocean Hotspots