Maine Needs A Healthy Ocean

There are many habitats in the Gulf of Maine and all of them are important to the

people of our state

Victoria

Sea grass beds are found in shallow places or near the shore. www. Marinelife. About .com /p/ seagrass

Victoria

Many plants and animals live in sea grass beds. Some of them are: sea

horses, sea turtles, lobsters and schools of baby fish. Www.marinelife.About.com/p/seagrass

Isaiah

Sea grass beds are important to the people of Maine because lobsters and baby fish eat nutrients made by the grass and they live

there. www.noaa.gov

Www.marinelife.About.com/p/seagrass Isaiah

Sea grass beds are in danger when big stoms tear up the grass. Also when the weather changes it damages the

sea grass beds. Pollution also can hurt the sea grass beds.

Www. Marinelife. About .com /p/ seagrass

Victoria

I bet you’re wondering what a coral is. It’s a thin shelled animal that attaches to rocks like a snail and has feathery tentacles .

Www.gmri.org

Ben

Cold water corals are important to the people of Maine because many types of fish and shelled animals live there.

http//www.noaa.gov

Eric

Many plants and animals live in cold water corals, Some of them

are wolf fish, sponges, sharks, lobster, crabs, sea turtes, star fish,

sea snails, and monkfish.Www.panda.org

Eric

What are the problems faced by cold water corals?

1. Fishing nets that drag on the bottem of the ocean destroy corals. These are called rockhopper nets. 2. Rising tempetures caused by global warming will also destroy corals.

http://www.gmri.com

s

Caleb

What can we do to help?Don’t put weights on nets and send notes to

lawmakers to tell the destruction of rockhoppers. Also, try to tell fishermen the same and ask them

to use different nets. Www.panda.org

Ben

Salt water marshes are grassy places that are near the shoreline.

Bella

Salt water marshes are important to the people of Maine. They hold soil and also they help feed many small

animals. www.noaa.gov

Bella

We can help salt water marshes by stopping people from draining them and filling them in for building roads.

gmri.com

Hailey

Shellfish beds are places on or rear the shore where many shellfish live

together . www.mass.gov

Landon

Many plants and animals live in shellfish beds. Some of them are

crabs, snails, sea stars and clams. gmri.gov

Angel

Shellfish beds are important to the people of Maine because many people harvest and sell shellfish. Also,shellfish filter the water

when they eat. Www.psga.net

Landon

What problems do shellfish beds face?1. Red tide closes shellfish beds because it makes the shellfish poisionous to eat.2. Pollution kills shellfish. Www.panda.net

Landon

We can help shell fish beds by not taking too many shellfish. We should not throw garbage in

the ocean. www.noaa.gov

Angel

Kelp Beds are made of many different types of seaweed on a rocky bottom.

http://www.gmri.gov

Isaac

Kelp beds are important because they give food and shelter to many kinds of animals. Kelp

plants are harvested for many products. http;//.www.rodford.edu

Isaac

Some of the problems faced by kelp beds are too much kelp harvesting and over fishing.

www.wa.gov

Ryan

All of these habitats in the ocean are important to the people of Maine. Many people in Maine make a living catching ocean animals to make seafood dinners for people who live here. Many people

come to Maine to visit our ocean and eat our seafood.

A Healthy Maine Ocean was created by Mrs. Bourgeois’ third

grade class. May, 2013

Emily