The Sargasso Sea

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Key Vocabulary

• Endemic - native and restricted to a certain place

• Sargassum - a brown seaweed with berrylike air bladders, typically forming large floating masses

• Holopelagic – something that remains pelagic through the entire life cycle.

• Gyre - a circular pattern of currents in an ocean basin.

• Biodiversity - the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

• Pelagic – relating to the open ocean
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Which of the following is NOT true about sargassum?
Sargassum grows attached to the sea floor for it's lifetime.
Sargassum is one of the only species of holopelagic seaweed.
Mats of sargassum are used by sea turtles and other marine animals during the beginning of their lives.
Sargassum mats are home to ten endemic species.
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The first option is false!Sargassum does NOT grow attached to the sea floor! It is one of the world's only holopelagic seaweeds - spending it's time floating in the water, rather than anchored down. Sargassum mats are important for marine animals and even have ten species considered endemic to this unique habitat! Image: https://www.thegef.org/news/communities-innovate-address-sargassum-seaweed-coasts-saint-lucia
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Animals that rely on sargassum include....Select all that apply.
Hatchling and juvenile sea turtles
the Sargassum Angler Fish
Sea birds
Migratory fish
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All of the above animals are known to rely on sargassum in one way or another for some, or all, of their lives. Animals rely on the sargassum for things like food, shelter, nurseries, and even breeding grounds!Image: https://www.natureplprints.com/hidden-nature/sargassum-fish-histrio-histrio-15279899.html
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The Sargasso Sea has land boundaries on all sides.
TrueFalse
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This is false!"The Sargasso Sea is a fundamentally important part of the world’s ocean, located within the North Atlantic sub-tropical gyre with its boundaries defined by the surrounding currents. It is the only sea without land boundaries with water depths ranging from the surface coral reefs of Bermuda to abyssal plains at 4500 m." (Source) Image Below: http://www.sargassoseacommission.org/storage/documents/Sargasso.Report.9.12.pdf
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Which of the following is an animal that travels many miles to breed in the Sargasso Sea?Select all that apply.
American and European eels
Sea lions
Sea turtles
None of the above
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"The Sargasso Sea is of global importance as the breeding location for endangered eel species from the USA, Canada, Europe and North Africa which have suffered declines of up to 99% in parts of their adult range. How and precisely where eels breed within the Sargasso Sea remains a mystery, so protection of the Sargasso Sea spawning area is very important. Protection here will complete the protection of the life-cycle of these important species and will complement existing eel recovery plans within Europe, the USA and Canada" (Source)Photo credit: David Curnick
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There is nothing that we can do to help preserve the Sargasso Sea.
TrueFalse
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False! There are many things that we can do to help! Some ideas include reducing and eliminating marine debris, practicing same boating, and reducing overfishing. Find more information here!Image: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/19/world/microplastics-sargasso-sea-north-atlantic-intl/index.html
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See the brochure below for more information from the Sargasso Sea Commission!
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