Marine Mystery – a watery who-dunnit! Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education OT CROSS! – Police Line – DO Police Line – DO NOT CROSS! – Poli

Who Killed Seymour Coral? Your job is investigate who killed Seymour Coral! You will use this power point to gather evidence in order to bring Mr. Coral’s killer to justice. First lets gather a little background information….

70% of the earth’s surface is covered by ocean!

The rainforests of the sea Coral reefs only make up 1% of the Earth’s surface, but they are home to over 25% of all marine life!

Coral and zooxanthellae: so happy together! Single-celled plant-like algae live in the tissues of the coral These cells provide food for the coral in exchange for a home

Photosynthesis: Helping plants grow for over 2.3 billion years! Plants, phytoplankton and algae in the oceans need the same ingredients to live and grow as plants on land: Carbon dioxide + water Carbon dioxide WaterOrganic carbon Oxygen food + oxygen

Coral bleaching: Life in the lurch Coral bleaching is when corals turn white because they lose their zooxanthellae. Caused by:  increased water temperature  changes in sunlight/UV radiation  sedimentation  chemical pollution

Witness Now that you have collected background information about the ocean and coral reefs, now is the time to interview each witness. Record the important clues given by each witness.

Pinchy the Crab Hi my name in Pinchy and I’m the local gardener. Last week, while I was trimming seaweed, I smelled weird chemicals coming out of Industrial Plant. They looked kind of greasy and shiny. I think they may have been toxic.

Dr. Simba the Lionfish Hello I am Dr. Simba and I was the victim’s doctor. Last month he complained of fevers and low blood sugar. As you know, this often happen when ocean temperatures rise. I recently saw Glowball Warming turning up the thermostat on the reef. But when I followed up the next week, Seymour seemed fine, so I didn’t think of it.

Pearl the Sea Star My name is Pear and I am…. Well I say Seymour fighting with Seddi Mentation a few days ago. Seddi was trying to smother Seymour and wouldn’t leave him alone. Now I feel like I should have done something!

Perky the Clownfish My name is Perky and I deliver the mail. I was taking a package to Polly Polyp when I saw a cloud pass overhead. But this cloud hung around for a while. I then realized that it wasn’t a cloud at all…. It as All-gal Bloom casting a shadow on us. Brr…. All-gal Bloom gives me the shivers!

Now it’s time to Examine Use the witness comments, and list the effects for each threat.

Environmental Suspects! Threat to coral Effect Global warming Sedimentation Algal bloom Industrial Plant

Global warming Burning fossil fuels, like coal and gas, increases the amount of CO 2 in the air and oceans. CO 2 keeps solar heat trapped near the Earth’s surface, and could cause land and oceans to warm up. Zooxanthellae can’t photosynthesize in very warm water and they abandon the coral.

Examples of Coral damage due to Global Warming

Examples of Coral Damage due to Sedimentation

Sedimentation Human land use (for farms, mines, or buildings) loosens soil and increases erosion. Dirt gets washed into the ocean where it can block out light and even smother corals.

Nutrients and algal blooms Much like dirt, fertilizers that are used to grow food can also get washed off the land and into the ocean. These nutrients can cause algal cells to reproduce rapidly, and they can block out light too. Red colored algae

Examples of Coral Damage due to Algal Bloom

Industrial pollution Factories that build anything from cars to carpets create waste. This type of pollution can either poison the coral or keep it from being able to eat and reproduce effectively.

Examples of Coral Damage due to Industrial Plant

As our investigation progressed, we also found the following: Large acres of forests near the coast have been torn down by loggers and farmers. Waters at the coast were found to be richer in nutrients than normal and lower in the amount of oxygen normally found there. Water temperatures were found to be similar to temperatures found in this area before. No new warehouses or manufacturing plants were found.

Who did it? Take time now to write your prediction as to who Killed Mr. Seymour. Write your prediction in a CER format; Claim: State who you think killed Mr. Seymour. Evidence: What evidence where you provided, be specific. Reasoning: Explain how your evidence supports your claim.

So who is the killer? Did they act alone? Large acres of forests near the coast have been torn down by loggers and farmers… SEDDI MENTATION Waters at the coast were found to be richer in nutrients than normal and lower in the amount of oxygen normally found there… ALL-GAL BLOOM Water temperatures were found to be similar to temperatures found in this area before… not Glowball Warming this time. No new warehouses or manufacturing plants were found… not Industrial Plant this time.