MARINE THREATS

LEARNING INTENTION

Investigate how human activities impacts are threating our moana. 

ACTIVITY

1. Impacts on your moana​​​​​​​

Refer back to any activities or current threats in your local environment that you think might be impacting our moana.

Read the article “Human impacts on marine environments” from Science Learning Hub. Use the interactive links on the “Threats to Marine Habitats” to find out more about what is happening to our marine habitats.

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/144-human-impacts-on-marine-environments

2. Marine Pests

Check out these resources:

You may also like to read: The Seaweed Invasion, School Journal Level 4 November 2023. It looks at Caulerpa, the seaweed smothering everything in its path!

  • Your mission is to create a "Wanted" poster (Level 3) or infographic (Level 4-5) on a marine pest that you discovered on your local shoreline or has been reported nearby. You must show your viewers what to look for, what to do when it is spotted and why it is a pest.

3. Overfishing

1. Have you been fishing before?

  • What is the legal minimum size a fish of a particular species must be for you keep it?

  • Is there a maximum size? Should there be?

2. How many fish are you allowed to catch per person?

3. Follow up with the age-related lessons by Marine Stewardship Council: https://www.msc.org/for-teachers/teach-learn-about-ocean-sustainability

4. Plastics

Check out this resource on - Rethinking plastics in Aotearoa New Zealand – the report — Science Learning Hub.

Find out more about organisations that are helping to remove plastic and rubbish from our coastal environments.

Litter Intelligence (Litter Intelligence - Litter Intelligence)

Litter Intelligence is a national litter monitoring programme, enabling communities to collect data, gain insights and take action to prevent litter. Look for a monitoring site in your area and find out what the most common type of litter is accumulating your local shore. Plan your own clean up day and review what is the most common type of litter and what you can do about it.


5. Climate Change

Investigate:

  • What is Climate change? What is causing it and what does it mean for the ocean?
  • What is the Carbon Cycle? Is there much difference between what happens with gardens on land as it does with the seaweed/kelp beds underwater?

Let’s have a look:

Here are some videos and resources about the carbon cycle. Make notes during the videos then add them to the Venn diagram, to see the similarities and differences between gardens on land verses underwater.

Create a Venn Diagram:

Discuss what you have noticed. What do gardens on land need to survive, what do seaweed and kelp beds underwater need to survive and what are the similarities between them both?


Research has shown that kelp, a component of blue carbon, can sequester carbon at a faster rate than land forests! 

Studies revealing the remarkable potential of kelp forests in marine environments.