Discover How Sharks Help Make Earth's Air
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This document discusses the importance of sharks for life on Earth. It explains that sharks help maintain the balance of ocean ecosystems by preying on smaller fish that eat phytoplankton and algae. This allows phytoplankton and algae to thrive, which produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, regulating the carbon cycle that supports all life on Earth. The loss of sharks has caused populations of smaller fish to increase, threatening phytoplankton, algae, and coral reefs, which provide habitat for many ocean species.
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Discover How Sharks Help Make Earth's Air
- 1. Beautiful, Important Sharks Be cool and know the facts!
- 2. What would happen on Earth if sharks became extinct like the dinosaurs? Would life change or stay the same?
- 3. Why are sharks so important to Earth and people? • The ocean makes 70% of our O2 (air/oxygen) and breathes 80% of CO2 (carbon dioxide). • This O2 is made by ocean plants called algae and phytoplankton. • Algae and phytoplankton breathe CO2 ,and with sunlight and water, they make energy. They then breathe out O2 . This is a cycle. It is called the carbon cycle. • All life on Earth needs O2 to live. How many names of living things do you know need air to live?
- 4. How do sharks protect phytoplankton and green algae? Sharks eat huge amounts of small fish and crustaceans. These animals eat phytoplankton and green algae. The number of sharks in the world is getting smaller each day. So the number of animals that eat phytoplankton and green algae gets bigger. This happens in the deep oceans and in shallow seas. How will this effect how much O2 is made on Earth? green algae Satellite view of healthy build up phytoplankton and green algae. crustaceans phytoplankton Sheldon Plankton
- 5. What else do sharks do to help the oceans? Make Healthy ReefsMake Healthy Reefs • On reefs, sharks help keep the number of different kinds of fish and sea life healthy. • Reefs are important because they have ocean plants. • Do you remember what ocean plants eat? • Reefs are only on 1% of the ocean floor, but reefs are the home to 25% of all marine species (ocean animals). • What are some different things that could happen if all the reefs died? Sharks are needed for reefs to grow, survive and be healthy.
- 6. How do sharks’ diet make a reef healthy?How do sharks’ diet make a reef healthy? • Since sharks are the top predator, they help keep the number of fish that eat algae and coral at a healthy number. That way reefs stay healthy too. • Sharks also eat sick and weak fish so fish families can stay strong and healthy.
- 7. What does a balanced reef lookWhat does a balanced reef look like?like? Large Fish (TopLarge Fish (Top Predators)Predators) Phytoplankton andPhytoplankton and Algae Eating FishAlgae Eating Fish Algae EatersAlgae Eaters A balanced reef has a smaller number of top predators, a larger number plant eating fish, and even a larger number algae eating fish.
- 8. Apex Predator (Top Hunter) Herbivorous Fish Algae Eaters Parrotfish Tang Fish Striped-Surgeon Hermit Crab Shrimp Sea Urchins Sharks Snapper Jackfish
- 9. Look at these two pictures carefully. Can you tell which one is healthy which one is not? How do they look the same? How do they look different? Which one do you think has sharks living there?
- 10. Which one of these sharks do you think lives near or on reefs? Gray SharkGray Shark School SharkSchool Shark Which one of these sharks would like to go to English class?
- 11. Police Sharks: Watching the Oceans for our Health What are the names of sharks which live around reefs? The cycle of life on a reef needs larger fish (predators) to eat smaller fish and sea creatures (prey). These smaller fish are larger in number and eat algae and coral. If there are too many of these smaller fish then reefs will eventually die, making our oceans sick. Without sharks, reefs are in danger! White Tip BlackTip Caribbean Reef Shark GreyShark
- 12. 1. Why is having a balanced amount of phytoplankton and green algae important for life on Earth? 2. How do sharks help make breathing possible on Earth? What can you remember about what you just learned? 3. Why is our O2 and sharks in danger today? 4. What can you do to help sharks and our air?
- 13. How people are killing sharks? - People cut the fins off sharks and throw their bodies into the ocean. - Sharks are usually still alive when it is thrown back into the water. - They can’t swim without fins and they can’t breath without swimming. - They usually sink to the bottom and get eaten by other fish or die from losing blood and air. - 100 million +/- sharks are killed each year, mostly for soup. - This means almost 200 sharks a are being killed every minute. Fins are sold for a lot of money and made into soup. How many sharks have been killed since we began talking about sharks?
- 14. What is your choice? Soup or life? Why?
Notas do Editor
- Use this slide as an ice breaker to talk about connections and relationships between sharks, the environment, and people. See what the kids or adults come up with on their own. Should only take 3 to 4 minutes to get their brains going in the direction you want for this lesson.
- Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide Erik Brush, author of The Sixth Extinction: http://thesixthextinction.homestead.com/index.html Picture: http://images.wikia.com/green/images/2/2f/Carbon_cycle.png
- Discuss the “cycle of life” by referencing other life cycles children are familiar with. Ask students why the diagram is shaped like a triangle? Read the information below, or go to the site: http://aquaviews.net/scuba-guides/visual-indicators-of-a-healthy-reef/ So you can further explain why the different types are important to a healthy reef. Summarize as you feel is proper for your group of students. Abundance of Herbivorous Fish – Parrotfish, Surgeonfish and Tangs The first good sign of a healthy coral reef is the abundance of Herbivorous Fish primarily Parrotfish and Surgeonfish. Herbivorous fish keep algae populations in check which often compete with the corals for sunlight, nutrients and space. While there are several species of algae eating herbivorous fish, the reason these two species are the ones to look out for is that Parrotfish usually eat the harder, calciferous algae which most species do not prefer. Surgeonfish and Tangs tend to graze on the softer algae allowing existing corals thrive. So spotting plenty of parrotfish and Surgeonfish on a dive would be a good indicator that the reef is doing. Sea Urchins Sea Urchins are a strange indicator of a healthy reef system as they can be both beneficial and harmful to a coral reef depending on their numbers on a reef. Urchins are often known as the lawnmowers of the sea as they feed on a wide variety of marine algae and sea grasses, which helps slow-growing corals to compete for limited reef space. Areas of coral reef that have seen the absence of sea urchins, have gradually gone into decline with uncontrolled algae growth. However the abundance of Sea Urchins can also cause the complete elimination of algae and sea weed robbing the nourishment that mollusks and herbivorous fish rely on also causing the destruction of the reef. Spotting a reasonable amount of sea urchins would signify a fit reef. The Presence of Large Fish & Apex Predators The largest fish on a coral reef in decline are usually the first to go. The presence of Barracuda, Jacks, Grouper, Snapper and large Potato Cod, Napoleon Wrasse which are the predators in the food chain, indicate that there is a healthy balance of fish in the reef. Even the Herbivorous fish should have a good number of large sized adults and not just juveniles which indicate poor reef conditions. Octopuses are primary predators on clams and shellfish and their presence in the reef also signifies a healthy shellfish population. If the reef has numerous smaller fish, and no larger pelagic, or adult carnivores, it is a sure sign that the reef is either in decline or recovering from a decline. Sharks Sighting sharks in a reef is a prime indicator that the ecosystem is thriving. Reef Sharks, black-tip, white tip or grey sharks, keep the larger fish populations in check and form the Apex predators of the reef ecosystem. The absence of large-bodied predators at the apex of marine food chains can result in large-scale changes in the abundances of other species and cause an imbalance in the reef. So sighting a shark is a good sign that things are well on the reef. Abundance of Giant Clams, Conches, and Molluscs What makes Giant Clams a good indicator of a healthy reef is the fact that these endangered creatures are highly sensitive to changes in the water acidity and temperature and perish were conditions are less than perfect. Giant Clams are of vital importance to the reef as they act as nurseries for a host of fish and invertebrates as well as shrimp. Clam shells provide the perfect substrates for attachment for several species of sponges, coral and algae which promote the development of the reef. Clams, conches and molluscs are also filter feeders – sifting plankton debris from the water for food, improving overall water quality in the reef. Smaller grazer molluscs like Abalone and snails also help keep algae growth in check.
- This slide gives you a good chance to look and talk about different fish which live on a reef. Which fish have kids seen before? Eaten? What do they know about the different types of fish. Cool fact: Parrot fish can change from female to male or male to female. All parrot fish are basically born hermaphrodites. If, within there school there are not enough males or females, parrot fish will change their sex to ensure their species will survive. They usually live about 7 years.
- The photo on the left shows a reef over run by algae.
- The answer is number 1. Below are some quick facts about these sharks. Gray Reef Shark http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/view.php?tid=3&did=25707 Size:Up to 2.5m Weight:200-300kg Food Sources:Reef fishes, squids, octopus Habitat:Warm shallow reefs Locations:From the Red sea to the easter islands Interesting Facts:Not an aggressive shark School Shark: Size:Up to 6ft long Weight:Unknown Food Sources:Bony fish Habitat:Deep waters 550 m (1,800 ft) Locations:Western Atlantic: southern Brazil to Argentina
- http://aquaviews.net/scuba-guides/visual-indicators-of-a-healthy-reef/ http://www.ulike.net/Coral_Reefs Teacher can get students to read this slide, check for understanding, especially underline words and discuss the question at the bottom of the slide before moving on. There is a lot of information and room for discussion, gadging your
- The pictures on this slide are meant to show a dying or dead Earth. With no oxygen, life on Earth will end as we know it.