OCEANS

  Nearly 75% of the world we live on is covered in water.  A majority of this water takes the form of oceans and seas.  Within the salt water itself, there are major difference from latitude to latitude.  There are cold and warm water oceans, which each act as a habitat for a unique and diverse composition of marine creatures. 

In this activity, you will search three different sites.  You will learn about the differences between warm and cold water oceans, and how the differences in temperature impact the type of life each can support.  You will discover the physical adaptations that marine animals living in each ecosystem have developed to enable them to survive.  In the end, you will use your knowledge to design a fish that will live in a warm water ocean and one that will live in a cold water ocean.  To begin, visit the warm and cold linked sites above and then head to the design a fish link.  Answer the questions below after reading, but before you create your fish.

1) How do cold water oceans refresh themselves any why is this function important?

2) How are coral reefs formed?

3) What is one major problem facing each type of ocean (warm and cold)?

4) Use the information you have gathered to design a fish that will live in cold water oceans, and one that will live in warm water oceans.  You must have at least 4 adaptations that your fish will have and you must justify why you have decided each is necessary for your fish.  Fill out the chart below for each adaptation you choose and explain what its function would be for each fish.  Please specify which chart is a warm water and which chart is a cold water fish.  Draw your fish on the separate piece of paper that is provided to you.