Name 1 Homework Monday Under The Sea Scientists make a splash with the discovery of new marine species. Scientists in Indonesia think they have found hidden treasure 52 new types of marine animals! The researchers believe that the 24 types of fish, 20 types of corals, and types of shrimp are new to science. The researchers spotted the new species off the coast of Papua, a province on one of the more than 13,500 islands that make up Indonesia. The area, Bird s Head Seascape, is one of the world s most diverse marine regions. "These Papuan reefs are literally species factories, " says Mark Erdmann of Conservation International, who led the expedition. Many of the species are believed to be endemic to the area, meaning they are not found anywhere else. Trouble in Paradise? Bird s Head Seascape is part of Asia s "Coral Triangle." The Triangle covers about 70,000 square miles in the Indian Ocean. It is home to more than 1,200 species of fish and almost 600 kinds of reef-building corals. But the marine marvels off Papua s coast may be in danger. The Indonesian government is considering a plan to increase commercial fishing in the east, near Papua, because Indonesia s western seas are overfished. Wildlife groups are against the plan. They say it is imperative, or absolutely necessary, to protect Bird s Head Seascape. "It s extremely important because this area is the center of coral reef biodiversity," Sherry Flumerfelt of the Coral Reef Alliance told WR News. Biodiversity refers to the variety of species in a particular environment. We need to"make sure these species are protected," says Flumerfelt. Star Species
Name 2 Here are a few of the standout species that scientists recently spied in Indonesia. A bottom-dwelling epaulette shark uses its fins to "walk" across the ocean floor in search of shrimp, crabs, snails, and small fish. When it s time to attract a mate, a male flasher wrasse ditches its drab brown hue for some brighter colors. There are three times more fish in the Bird s Head Seascape than in the Hawaiian Islands, including this newly discovered one. 1. Endemic means a. very sick. b. not found anywhere else. c. related to the skin. d. sea creature. 2. Which of these sentences uses imperative correctly? a. It is imperative that this baby eats. b. It is imperative to hurt animals. c. I really like your imperative. d. The dog was very imperative because he had spots. 3. If commercial fishing is allowed off Papua s coast, you can predict that a. more fast-food restaurants will open. b. shark attacks will increase. c. marine life will increase. d. many species in the coral reef will disappear. 4. In Indonesia there is a lot of commercial fishing. That means a. teams film advertisements while fishing. b. the fish caught will go directly to National Aquariums. c. the fishing is done in a safe manner and no other animals are harmed. d. the fish that are caught will be sold.
Name 3 Homework Tuesday Fish Finders A pointy gray fin, a toothy smile almost everyone knows what a shark looks like. But scientists don t know much about how the big fish live. That s starting to change. Scientists have been collecting information about sharks around the world with satellite tracking tags. Researchers place the tags into the flesh of a shark and release the fish into the water. The tags collect information about where the sharks travel and how deep and fast they swim. Scientists program the tags to stay fastened to the shark for a certain amount of time and then pop off and float to the ocean s surface. Then the tags send the information they gathered to a satellite in space, which transmits the information to the scientists. Satellite tags help scientists learn which shark species migrate (move from one area to another), where they go, and what they do there. Last year, researchers tracked a great white shark that traveled from Africa to Australia and back. The shark, nick-named Nicole, swam 12,400 miles in nine months. That s halfway around the planet! People often think of sharks as fearsome killers, but the truth is that people pose a great danger to sharks. Shark attacks always make the news, but they are rare. The International Shark Attack File says that, on average, sharks kill five to 15 people a year worldwide. Every summer, the number of shark attacks begins to rise compared with previous months, but researchers say it is not because sharks are more aggressive. The reason for the increase is that people are spending more time in the water surfing, swimming, and fishing in shark habitat. Still, an attack is very unlikely. A person is 30 times more likely to be killed by lightning than by a shark. Meanwhile, fishermen kill about 100 million sharks each year. Populations of great white sharks and other species are shrinking. Scientists hope to discover important areas where sharks like to spend time so those areas can be protected.
Name 4 1. A satellite tracking tag a. is attached to the flesh of a shark. b. tracks where the shark goes. c. sends information to satellites in space. d. all of the above. 2. Sharks are most often killed by a. fishermen. b. killer whales. c. other sharks. d. surfers. 3. A shark s habitat is a. their favorite food. b. where they live. c. their enemy. d. on land. 4. What does migrate mean? Homework Wednesday Deep-Sea Search David Jourdan and a team of explorers searched the floor of the Pacific Ocean for an old airplane. One of their expeditions, or voyages, concentrated on an area west of Howland Island. The tiny island is located roughly halfway between Australia and Hawaii. The explorers tried to solve one of history's greatest mysteries what ever happened to Amelia Earhart?
Name 5 Who Was Amelia Earhart? Amelia Earhart was an aviator, or airplane pilot, who broke many flying records during the 1930s. In 1932, she became the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1937, Earhart attempted to become the first woman to fly an airplane around the world. During that historic trip, she and her navigator, or guide, Fred Noonan, vanished forever. They were scheduled to land on Howland Island in the Pacific. After their disappearance, the U.S. government launched a search, but no trace of the plane was found. Some people think Earhart's plane ran out of gas and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Others believe she may have crash-landed on a deserted island and was never rescued. Searching the Seafloor Jourdan is confident that his team will find Earhart's plane. "Our expectation is the plane will be largely, if not completely, intact," he said. The explorers will use sonar to search the ocean floor. Sonar sends out sound waves, which bounce off underwater objects. Over the years, many unsuccessful attempts have been made to solve Earhart's mystery. Despite the uncertainty, Earhart will be remembered as a pioneer of aviation and a fearless flier. Main Idea Key Detail 1 Key Detail 2 Key Detail 3
Name 6 Homework Thursday Hard Times For Honeybees A decrease in bees takes a toll on farm crops. Life hasn t been sweet for honeybees lately. Varroa mites, which have come to the United States from Asia, have destroyed honeybee populations during the last few years. Mites are tiny, eight-legged creatures that live off plants, animals, or food. "The mites are decimating the hives," Kevin Hackett of the U.S. Department of Agriculture s research program for bees told Weekly Reader. He said beekeepers in the United States have lost about 500,000 of their 2.5 million hives because of mites. Pollinating Crops Why are honeybees so important? Farmers depend on honeybees to pollinate their crops. During pollination, bees transfer pollen, the yellow powder inside flowers, from one flower to another. Experts estimate that nearly one-third of the food that humans eat from apples to zucchini is pollinated by bees. "Crops that are pollinated are the tasty things that people like to eat, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts," says Hackett. Farmers are feeling the effects as mites destroy the colony, or large group of bees, inside the hive. Beekeepers who manage hives rent honeybees to farmers to pollinate their crops. The bee shortage has driven up prices, making it expensive for farmers to rent honeybees. Each year, bees typically pollinate crops worth about $15 billion. Crop loss due to the bee shortage is costing farmers billions. Farmers in California are particularly hurting because about 80 percent of the world s almonds are grown there. Almond tree blossoms need honeybees to pollinate them. Helping Honeybees
Name 7 To help protect honeybees and to tackle the mite problem, government agencies and the National Honey Board are conducting research. They are also trying to encourage more people to go into apiculture, or beekeeping. Main Idea Key Detail 1 Key Detail 2 Key Detail 3 Summary