If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

Main content

Ocean Conservation: vocabulary; Our Oceans, Our Planet 6

Problem

Read the article, then answer the practice question.

Our Oceans, Our Planet

  1. When you look at the ocean, you can’t see where it ends. It stretches away from the shore and seems to go on forever. Imagine diving in and feeling the cool stillness surround you. The light from the surface disappears at 3,000 feet, so there is no light at all. What a mysterious world! Some of the deepest places in the ocean can hold two mountains stacked on top of each other. It’s hard to believe a place so vast needs our help and protection—but it does. Our oceans are essential to our existence on planet Earth and they are in grave danger.
  2. Why is the ocean important? This underwater world is home to millions of different animals and plants who thrive in the brine. This salty water burns if we accidentally swallow it, but many forms of life live in and depend on it.
  3. Lichen live on ocean shores and love salt. These organisms live on rocks, shells, and driftwood. They provide shelter and food for animals and plants. They also help keep our air clean. Coral is a type of ocean animal that builds a physical environment for a community of organisms. This combination of environment and community is called an ecosystem. Coral ecosystems are the most diverse in the world. The Oceanic Society reports that about 25 percent of all marine plants and animals are supported by coral reefs. Many of these plants and animals provide food for humans. Approximately three billion people in the world depend on seafood for protein. That’s almost half of all the people in the world!
  4. Did you know the ocean produces over half of the world’s oxygen? We need the ocean to help make our air breathable. Scientists also make medicine from ingredients found in the ocean. The medicine helps fight heart disease, cancer, and other health issues. And businesses all over the world depend on the ocean to produce billions of dollars in goods and services. Unfortunately, these amazing resources are being put at risk by the very people who need them: humans. The oceans are in danger of being destroyed by human activity and overuse.
  5. About 31.4 percent of fish populations are overfished. When coral reef ecosystems are overfished, fish populations shrink, and ecosystems become unbalanced. Other human activities that threaten oceans include agriculture, road construction, and oil and chemical spills. These activities create pollution that contaminates ocean water and can kill or harm marine life.
  6. Individual people also contribute to trash and other debris collecting in the ocean. Ninety percent of ocean trash is plastic, much of which comes from water bottles and straws. Straws are among the top ten items that pollute oceans. Global warming also threatens our oceans. Oceans are getting hotter, which makes it harder for marine life to breathe. If coral reefs starve, the marine life they support will also die off.
  7. These are all big problems, but there are things we can do to help overcome them. If you’re skeptical about whether or not one person can do something to help our oceans, keep reading! There are simple actions you can take:
    • Use less water.
    • Research companies that catch seafood safely and in places where fish are plentiful. Then, ask your family and friends to buy these companies’ products.
    • Help clean up the beaches so garbage doesn’t float out to sea.
    • Instead of using plastic straws or water bottles, use reusable versions of both.
    • Share what you’ve learned about the ocean with your community. One way to teach others is to give reusable straws as gifts. Include a note explaining how this helps the ocean.
    • Carpool with friends or ride your bike to cut down on air pollution and to help lower rising ocean temperatures.
  8. We need the ocean, and right now, it needs our help. If we work together and make even small changes, we can help protect our planet by saving our oceans and the millions of plants and animals that find sanctuary in them.

Practice question

Categorize each word from the text as having a positive or negative connotation.
Positive connotation
Negative connotation
protection (paragraph 1)
grave (paragraph 1)
contaminates (paragraph 5)
sanctuary (paragraph 8)
starve (paragraph 6)