This article examines the deterioration of seagrass meadows in Long Island Sound, the ecological and economic importance of seagrass, and The Nature Conservancy's strategy for protecting these meadows.
Students will learn that Long Island Sound is almost out of seagrass meadows, the meadows serve as a home for many marine animals, and The Nature Conservancy is collaborating with other conservation organizations to protect seagrass in Long Island Sound.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This article features quotes from a high-ranking conservation official within The Nature Conservancy.
This article is well-organized and filled with high-quality photography.
Additional Prerequisites
It may help students to understand how climate change and ocean temperatures are connected.
Students should know the terms anchoring, mooring, and dredging.
Differentiation
Teachers can use this article as a conceptual introduction to blue carbon and its significance.
This article can fit within a larger unit on how human activity has impacted biodiversity and the Earth's climate since the Industrial Revolution.
This article can augment a classroom discussion where students consider their experiences with seagrass meadows or other beauty in the sea.
This article can enhance a lesson on the impact of global ocean warming.
Scientist Notes
This resource from The Nature Conservancy illuminates the vital role of seagrass ecosystems in Long Island Sound and the challenges they face due to factors like nitrogen pollution and warmer water temperatures. The data in the text appears to be well-researched and supported by scientific evidence. References to research initiatives conducted by TNC and other organizations demonstrate a thorough understanding of the factors contributing to seagrass decline and the strategies for conservation and restoration. Additionally, the text includes specific examples and case studies, providing concrete evidence of the importance of seagrass ecosystems and the effectiveness of conservation efforts. This resource can precede or follow a classroom discussion about the effects of water quality on local habitats.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
HS-LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
HS-LS2-7 Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Civics
D2.Civ.5.9-12 Evaluate citizens' and institutions' effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
