Discover the Bay
Alcatraz Cruises
Hybrid Ferry Program
The Embarcadero at Beach Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
415.623.5000
www.aquariumofthebay.org
www.aquariumofthebay.org
Discover the Bay
Background
Students living in the Bay Area are often unfamiliar with their watery backyard. During this program onboard
Alcatraz Cruises’ Hybrid Ferry, students familiarize themselves with the bay, the processes that drive it, and
the living and non-living things inside and around it. Afterward the boat trip, students tour Aquarium of the
Bay to view the life below the water that is so plentiful, but difficult to see. Through the dual-site program,
students will have a chance to better understand their local environment, and make connections between
earth, ocean, atmosphere, and themselves.
Discover the Bay California Science Standards Alignment
The Discover the Bay program meets a variety of standards, and is most appropriate for grades 5-8. The
following CA state science standards are addressed over the course of the field trip.
Grade 5: 2f, 2g, 3a, 3d, 3e, 4b
Grade 6: 2a, 2b, 2c, 4a, 5a, 5b, 5d, 5e, 6a, 6c, 7b
Grade 7: 7a, 7b
Grade 8: 6c, 8a, 8c, 8d
Discover the Bay Classroom Activity Guide
Within the following pages are activities for teachers to use in their classroom before (or after!) coming out
for the Discover the Bay field trip. Each activity has three pieces to it: that students can do on their own, in
groups, and as a class. Some can stand alone, but all connect to the onboard curriculum. Also, the activities
can be altered to best fit a classroom’s needs and the teacher’s style. Some pieces may take as few as five
minutes, while others can take a whole class session, and yet others can be repea ted or extended over the
course of the year. Make sure to read the procedures, especially on the Extended Learning sections as they
may require materials, preparations, or a higher comfort level with the information. We hope you find these
fun and helpful.
Activity #1: Hybrid and Alternative Energy Sources
Activity #2: All About Plankton
Activity #3: Water, Water Everywhere
Activity #4: Our Waters and Us
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Activity #1: Hybrid and Alternative Energy Sources
While onboard the Hybrid Ferry, students will participate in a station called Hybrididity. Students will learn
about energy sources: what happens when you flip a light switch at home? Where does that electricity come
from? Students will also discuss the greenhouse effect and global warming. These are big ideas and concepts
that encompass a lot of science, processes, and layering of information. It’s OK if students are completely
unfamiliar with global warming and/or the greenhouse effect or if they have a lot of prior knowledge –
correct or incorrect – about it. We’ll help them explore it comfortably on their trip and tour.
The greenhouse effect – a layer of carbon and other “stuff” naturally surrounding our planet like a blanket - is
what makes our planet comfortable for living things. Without it, all of the sun’s warmth would be lost into
space and we would be cold (and probably not here at all!). However, humans are magnifying the impact
that the greenhouse effect has on Earth – essentially, we are making the blanket thicker, by releasing excess
“stuff” into the environment.
This “stuff” is everything from emissions from the tailpipes of cars and the “smoke” stacks on factories, to the
emissions from refrigerators, landfills, and even animals breathing! A lot of it is in the gaseous form of carbon
in a variety of combinations with oxygen and hydrogen: carbon dioxide (CO 2) and methane (CH4), for
example. Before humans were around, carbon was released from only a few sources, like the exhalation of
animals and forest fires unchecked by urban settings. There was a balance: green organisms – like plants – on
the land and in the ocean, photosynthesized at about the right rate to take in that carbon so it didn’t
accumulate in the atmosphere. Today, however, we’re releasing more carbon through the burning of natural
gas, coal, and oil for energy, than our green friends can accommodate, and it’s collecting in the air above us ,
adding to the naturally occurring carbon blanket. Just like dust on a counter top, it can get thicker over time if
not kept in check.
With the sun’s strong rays coming through that blanket from the outside, the planet takes what it needs, and
much of the sun’s rays bounce back into the atmosphere. If the blanket thickens, the sun’s rays can’t bounce
back out, and our planet’s temperature gradually increases.
By Yourself…
A quiet, independent brainstorm and writing activity that allows students explore prior knowledge about
climate change, global warming, the greenhouse effect, and the “carbon blanket” surrounding our planet.
Use the worksheet!
With a Partner or Group…
A group activity to explore energy sources and how they – and humans - contribute to climate change. Use
the worksheet!
Extended Learning…
A class-wide activity, split into small groups, creating mini-greenhouses (also called terrariums) to
demonstrate our atmosphere. This activity requires some preparation by you, the teacher, so be sure to read
the instructions beforehand.
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Student Worksheet: Activity #1 Hybrid and Alternative Energy Sources
By Yourself…
In your own words: define Global Warming. Even if you’re not sure what it really is, take a guess at what
those two words mean and see if you can create a definition!
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
With a Partner or Group…
So what? You contribute to the green house effect just by breathing, just like every other living animal! But
we also contribute to global warming every time we use energy. You also help reduce global warming by
saving energy, using fewer resources (buying and using fewer things), and helping plant and grow green
plants. Make three lists: Things that you do or your family does that contribute to global warming, Things
that you do or your family does that don’t contribute or reduce impacts on global warming, and Activities
that you’re unsure of how they impact global warming. When you think your lists are complete, find a
partner. Circle things that are the same and underline things that are different on your lists. Can you move
anything from the I Don’t Know column to another column?
Things That Use Energy
Ex.) Driving
Things That Don’t Use Energy or
Things That Help Global Warming
Ex.) Plant a garden
I Don’t Know About This Stuff
Ex.) Watching TV?
Print, copy, and distribute this page. 
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Extended Learning…
In this activity, students create a terrarium – an enclosed ecosystem that can be self sufficient when set up
right. The plants create heat and oxygen, and take up carbon dioxide. You provide the “atmosphere” that
keeps it all inside.
Materials
Large glass jars (wide-mouth Mason Jars work well)
Pebbles or small rocks (aquarium stones would work well)
Soil
Small potting plants (like a flat from the garden store, or collected with roots from outside)
Water
Clear, plastic wrap
Rubber bands
Small thermometers (optional)
Procedure (20 minutes initially, 5 minutes a day over 1-2 weeks, or as long as you like!)
1. Divide students into groups of 2-4 and give each group one jar, about a cup of stones and a cup of
soil, a plant, a rubber band, and a piece of plastic wrap. You may want to prepare trays with these
materials on them for each group, prior to the activity.
2. In each jar, put down a layer of rocks covered with a layer of soil.
3. Reach inside the jar, and plant the small seedling.
4. Water the little plant and cover the opening of the jar with the plastic wrap, sealed with the rubber
band if necessary.
5. Set in direct or indirect sunlight, depending on what the plants need (either dictated by the
instructions from the garden store, or a similar setting to where you got the plants from outside.
6. If thermometers are available, place one inside one or more jars, and one outside the jars.
7. Check plants daily to make sure they are getting enough water. After a few days, condensation should
form on the inside of the jar. If the plants are too wet and begin to mold, poke holes in the plastic or
lift a corner of the plastic open. If they are too dry, add more water or even fill a milk jug cap with
water and set it in the jar. Continue to adjust until the atmosphere inside the jar is self sustaining.
Discussion
The jar is creating an “atmosphere” by letting sunlight in, and by blocking sunlight, moisture, and gasses from
escaping. The plants get everything they need from the soil, the sunlight, and any gaps that let carbon
dioxide into the jar. In groups or as a class, brainstorm the following questions:
-
How many of the jars look healthy after 3 days? After a week? After 2 weeks?
What are the differences in the healthy jars and the jars that are not healthy?
How are these jars like the Earth? How are they different?
What processes are happening in the jars? How do you know? What evidence do you see that the
plants are alive?
Onboard the Hybrid Ferry, we’ll discuss the Earth’s atmosphere and the role it plays in trapping some things
and letter other things pass through.
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Activity #2: All About Plankton
Onboard the Hybrid Ferry, students will participate in a Plankton Station where they will “fish” for plankton,
examine them under a microscope, and learn how plankton fill important roles in the Bay ecosystem. All
three activities may be done independently of each other, or in succession. A discussion or brainstorm about
plankton may be helpful if you choose to not do the first activity.
Plankton are drifting organisms that live in salt and fresh water. Phytoplankton are the base of most marine
ecosystems and contribute not only as a food source for larger animals and zooplankton, but also by taking
up carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen through photosynthesis. Zooplankton are often the next step in the
food chain as they are often small and supply food for many other organisms. While most plankton are
microscopic, not all are so small. There are many types of plankton and the word plankton is an even broader
term than a word like “bug” or “fish”.
By Yourself…
Students independently take time to draw and color what they think plankton are. This can take as little as 5
minutes or can be extended to include a discussion and brainstorm activity.
With a Partner or Group…
Students make up imaginary plankton that have the same types of adaptations that real plankton have.
Extended Learning…
A classic plankton game! This “race” is a great opportunity for you to discuss buoyancy using objects that
sink, float, or “flink”. This game is great in groups of 2 or 3, and can be fun, but also very wet! Choose a
space that can easily be dried and wiped up afterward, or the playground blacktop is a perfect place. This
activity can be done in as little as 25 minutes, or as much as an hour, depending on the time students have to
make their creations and how intricate of a round robin you design for the ra ce.
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Student Worksheet: Activity #2 All About Plankton
By Yourself…
Close your eyes and say the word “plankton” to yourself.
Draw what comes to mind:
Name the plankter (the word for only one plankton!) you drew: ____________________________________
With a Partner or Group…
There are many different types of plankton. Some are at the b ottom of the food chain and support
everything that lives in the water. Some plankton eat plants or animals, while others make their own food.
Some plankton grow up to be fish or crabs or other animals! With your group or partner, decide how your
plankton that you drew would interact: would one eat the other and then be eaten by another one? Would
they compete for a home or food? Write down the names of your plankton and then draw lines between the
ones that interact, and write HOW they interact on those lines. You can add other things living or non-living
things to help connect all the plankton or make it more interesting, like a real food web!
Print, copy, and distribute this page. 
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Extended Learning…
This is a classic “experiment” that kids can have a lot of fun with.
Materials
A variety of things that float: corks, straws, packing peanuts, etc.
A variety of things that sink: pipe cleaners, metal washers, paperclips, etc.
A water source
A deep, clear bucket.
Procedure
1. Explain the goal of the activity to students: this is a “race” to stay in the middle of the water column
the longest. Plankton need sunlight and food to survive, but can’t all be right on the surface of the
water, so they live somewhere in the middle. The winning plankter will stay away from the surface
and from the bottom of the bucket the longest. Ideally it will be neutrally buoyant, but a slow sinker
or floater is usually the winner
2. In groups or alone, students create planktonic creatures with the provided materials. They can add
materials and take materials away as much as they want and they can test their creatures as often as
necessary. They will have 10 minutes.
3. After about 10 minutes, have students “race” their plankton. This can be done in pairs , in brackets, or
in groups. The winning creature stays in the middle section of the water column for the longest
amount of time without touching the bottom and without bobbing up to the surface.
Discussion
How does this relate to the real environment? Phytoplankton – the mostly-green, plant like plankton – need
carbon dioxide and sunlight. The Zooplankton that eat the phytoplankton and each other, go to where their
food is, so they are also near the surface. However, if the plankton stay too near the surface then they will
receive too much UV light and get tossed around by the waves on the surface. However, they cannot swim
against a current and can barely and rarely choose a direction to move. To change their place in the water
they must change their buoyancy or density. To do so, they may ingest air, link up with plankton or break
away from other plankton, or increase or decreas e their surface area to body size ratio by growing spikes,
hairs, or “tails”.
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Activity #3: Water, Water Everywhere
Onboard the Hybrid Ferry, students will take samples of the bay water and, using scientific instruments,
charts, and logic, they will determine the density of their samples. They will also delve into density: what is it,
why is it important, and how do scientists measure it?
The physical properties of the water in San Francisco Bay vary greatly. In many spots, the water can range
from almost fresh to saltier than the ocean over the course of a day! At any given time, water high in the
delta could be completely fresh while the water under the Golden Gate Bridge may be just as salty as the
ocean. Salinity changes with influxes of fresh water from winter snow-melt, rain runoff, sunny, warm days,
and tidal changes. Meanwhile, temperature fluctuates with seasons and tides . Physical properties also
change vertically, with depth. All of these factors play a part in determining the density of the water in the
Bay, how the water moves and mixes, and in turn influence the living organisms. With semi -permeable
membranes, many plants’ and animals’ lives are dictated by the daily and seasonal changes of the waters of
the bay.
In these activities and on their field trip, students will get a sense of how closely organisms are tied to their
surroundings. All three activities that follow may be done independently.
By Yourself…
Students look at an aerial photograph of San Francisco Bay and identify different physical features of the
surrounding area and see how they are all connected.
With a Partner or Group…
Together, students brainstorm different inputs to the bay system that will influence the salinity – and
therefore the density – of the bay water.
Extended Learning…
In this activity, you will need to provide some materials: eggs, salt, and pint-sized glasses. Don’t forget to
remind students that the eggs are raw and fragile! We suggest trying this one out yourself, first.
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Student Worksheet: Activity #3 Water, Water Everywhere
By Yourself…
San Francisco Bay is connected to many other bodies of water including rivers and streams as well as the
ocean. Look at the photograph of San Francisco Bay below.
1. Circle where the Golden Gate Bridge should be (it’s so little you can’t even see it!).
2. Put an X at the approximate location of your school.
3. Draw a line tracing one river that connects to the main part of the bay.
4. Trace a smaller river or a lake that connects to the river in #3.
5. Draw an arrow where the Pacific Ocean connects to the bay.
From earth snapshot, 2009
With a Partner or Group…
Since the bay is connected to other parts of our watershed (you’ll learn more about this onboard the boat!),
the salinity of the water is constantly changing: sometimes there are more salts mixed up in the bay water
and sometimes there are less. With a partner or group, come up with things that make the bay more salty
and things that make it less salty.
More Salty
Less Salty
Ex. Incoming tides__________________
Ex. Rainy days_____________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Print, copy, and distribute this page. 
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Extended Learning…
This activity can be done as a demonstration or in groups.
Materials
Pint glasses or other similar size containers
Tap water
Salt
Raw egg(s)
Spoon
Towels for cleaning
Procedure
1. If doing this in groups, break students into groups of 2-4 and give each group 2 glasses, about 6
tablespoons or 1/3 cup of salt, one egg, one spoon, and a towel.
2. Fill both glasses with the same amount of tap water.
3. Using the spoon, mix about 6 tablespoons of salt into one of the glasses. Label or remember which
glass is which!
4. Ask students to write down their predictions: what will happen if the egg is gently placed into the cup
of fresh water?
5. (Gently!) Drop the egg into the glass of fresh water. Record the results.
6. Remove the egg, dry it, and set it aside.
7. Ask students to predict what will happen if they drop the egg into the salt water.
8. (Gently!) Drop the egg into the glass of salt water. Record the results.
9. Remove the egg, rinse and dry it, and clean up the experiment.
Discussion
Ask students to share their results. What changed? Why did this impact the egg? This is a great time to talk
about density if it has not been introduced to the class yet. Like the experiment, students brainstormed ways
that the amount of salt in the San Francisco Bay changes. This can affect the plankton in the bay, in turn
affecting the animals that feed on the plankton. See if students can think of this or other ways that changing
salinity might affect the bay ecosystem.
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Activity #4: Our Waters and Us
Onboard the Hybrid Ferry, students will learn about watersheds in California. It’s OK if students are not
familiar with the term or concept of “watersheds” as we devote a whole station to the topic. For now, help
them learn that the water cycle carries water from the mountains to the sea and back again, and in that
process humans are connected to the land around them.
The term watershed refers to an area of land that shares waterways, all draining into a shared body of water,
often the ocean. For us, the snow and rain and small streams on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada
mountains all flow downhill until they reach larger rivers – like the Sacremento and San Joaquin – and then
pool together as the water flows into the central San Francisco Bay, and then into the Pacific Ocean. All the
land that surrounds that massive area – about 40% of the state of California – is part of our watershed. We
delve deeper into this topic onboard the ferry, so if you’re unfamiliar with the watershed concept don’t
worry, you can still help your students have meaningful conversations about where water moves in our
watershed.
All three of the following exercises can stand alone or be used together.
By Yourself…
In this activity, students use the worksheet to list direct and indirect impacts that humans can have on
watersheds, or their watery-surroundings.
With a Partner or Group…
This activity is called a Futures Map. You give groups of students a jumping off point, and they come up with
ways this incident or action will impact others and their environment. You’ll have to prep for this by choosing
the starting actions and writing them on blank, unlined paper. This can lead to a great discussion and there
are no wrong answers!
Extended Learning…
This game needs a big gym or outdoor space where students can run. It is an adaptation from
Macroinvertebrate Mayhem; students play tag with restrictions to demonstrate how some organisms are
more impacted by their environment than others. Through this they can see that if some “weaker” species
are heavily impacted and begin to die off, the diversity of an ecosystem decreases and a natural balance can
cease to exist. Again, this takes a bit of preparation and a few materials, so be sure to read the procedure.
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Student Worksheet: Activity #4 Our Waters and Us
By yourself…
Brainstorm a list of things that you or your friends and family do that directly and indirectly impact the water
around you. Things that directly impact the waters around you can be easily identified because you can see it
happening: for example, if you pick trash out of a lake or beach, you can directly impact the water. Things
that indirectly impact the waters around you are harder to see; they might happen after you leave. For
example, if your dog goes to the bathroom in the park and you don’t pick it up, the waste gets washed away
during the next storm and while some may make it to a waste water treatment plant, some may head to a
local stream.
Direct Impacts
Indirect Impacts
Ex. Leaving fishing line, bate, and other trash
behind after a weekend fishing trip to my favorite
lake.
Ex. Turing the water off while washing dishes uses
less water, so more water is left in streams, rivers,
and other water soruces.
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Print, copy, and distribute this page. 
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With a Partner or Group…
Starting with the concepts above, create a futures map. Provide each pair or group with a piece of paper with
one of the following actions on it, with a box drawn around it. Ask students to brainstorm as many things
that they can think of that will happen, if that one action happens. Write the results around the box, and
connect it with a single line to the original action. Then ask students to continue brainstorming: what will be
the result if those new things happen? Connect those to the new ideas, with double lines. Continue as far out
as you can. You can pass out the example below, or create one on your own as a whole class to demonstrate
before breaking into pairs or groups.
Sample ideas for Futures Map starting box actions:
- Turn off the water between washing and
rinsing dishes
- Take shorter showers
- Plant plants that don’t need a lot of water
- Participate in a beach or river cleanup
- Teach your family about the bugs, birds,
and fish in a local stream, river, lake, or
ocean
- Visit an aquarium
-
Buy organic produce
Pick up pet waste
Collect/raise money to give to a local,
environmental non-profit
Use natural cleaners to clean cars and
other house-old items outside
Ask a local company to Adopt-a-River-Bank
or Highway.
As a class, ask each group to share one positive outcome that resulted from their center action.
Extended Learning…
We have a strong impact on our environment, and on our watershed (there’s that word again!). Some
animals are very adaptable and can handle lots of change in their habitat (we call these organisms tolerant),
but others are intolerant and may die or not be able to produce any babies. If too many organisms or just a
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few of some very important organisms are impacted, the whole ecosystem may have serious problems. In
this game, students will get to be tolerant and intolerant organisms that live in the central California
watershed, and environmental stressors – the things that can harm populations of organisms.
Materials
5x7 index cards – enough for one for each student, with a hole punched in the top middle
String – to hang the index cards around their necks
Markers – to label the index cards
A big playing field!
Examples of Environmental Stressors
Dams and water diversion for farming, residential, and commercial water use
Contaminating spills (sewage, oil, etc.)
Dredging, fill, or other physical changes to the side or bottom of the land
Change in pH or temperature from climate change
Pollution in the form of litter
Others
Procedure
One student volunteer is the environmental stressor of his or her choice. As a class, discuss how this stressor
has an impact on the bay ecosystem. Explain to students that this is just one of many stressors that animals
in the bay have, and briefly review the other stressors and their impact. After each round, a different student
can be the stressor.
Divide the rest of the class into 5 – 7 groups, and assign each group an organism. There should be at least 4
students in each group; for smaller classes, eliminate one of the intolerant groups, followed by a tolerant
group if needed.
Organism
Salmon
Grebe
Pipefish
Oysters
Anchovies
Leopard Sharks
Sea Lions
Tolerance
Intolerant
Intolerant
Intolerant
Intolerant
Tolerant
Tolerant
Tolerant
# of Individuals At the Start of Each Round
Review each of the group of organisms so students have an idea of what each animal looks like, where it
lives, and some of the key components of its life cycle and habitat. While these organisms have specific
stressors that impact them in the San Francisco Bay-Delta watershed, many environmental stressors could
impact them or similar species.
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Organism
Salmon
Hindrance
Stop and wiggle hips and butt for a count of
5 every 5 steps to help you swim upstream
Grebes
Stop and flap “wings” 4 times every 4 steps
to get oil globules off your back
Pipefish
Run 10 steps, do one push-up in the grass,
as you move from eel grass bed to eel grass
bed
At the half-way point, find another Oyster to
hold hands or link elbows with in order to
make up the oyster bed. Run to the end of
the field together.
Oysters
Reason for Hindrance
Salmon swim upstream to lay their eggs.
This is a hard job and requires clear,
unobstructed water ways!
As one of the most impacted birds, grebe
species from the Nov 2008 COSCO Busan
oil spill had the highest number of
collections by rescuers after the spill.
Pipefish are losing their Eel Grass habitat
from dredging and pollutants that block
sunlight from reaching the grass beds.
Increased pH from climate change affects
oysters, and could destroy oyster beds,
shutting down the fisheries.
Distribute index cards to each student and ask them to write their organism on the front. For the Intolerant
organism groups, ask them to choose a tolerant organism and write that organism on the back.
Set-up the game: set boundaries of the playing field should be demarcated so students know where they are
allowed to run. All the organisms line up at one of the field, and the environmental stressor stands in the
middle. At some indication – a count of three, a whistle, or a flag – the organisms can run across the field to
the other side. The Intolerant organisms should perform their hindrances as indicated. The environmental
stressor should try and tag as many organisms as he or she can as they run across the field. Organisms that
are tagged will go to the sidelines, and intolerant organisms will flip their cards to tolerant. Once all the
students are across the field or tagged, count and record the number of organisms in each group after the
intolerant species have switched their tags. After recording, ALL students go back to the end of the field, a
new student becomes a new stressor, and the game continues. Record the new number of intolerant and
tolerant species at the beginning of each round. You may elect to have more than one environmental
stressor if need be, but the fewer the better so that mostly intolerant organisms are being tagged.
After a few rounds, lead a discussion with the students, expanding on some of the following questions:
What do our numbers tell us?
Intolerant organisms cannot withstand the pressure of some human impacts on their environment. Over
time, there are fewer and fewer intolerant organisms, and more tolerant ones.
What does this mean for the number of types of organisms?
Over time, harmful impacts on an ecosystem can reduce biodiversity. In extreme cases, entire foodwebs can
collapse. High biodiversity is important to an ecosystem because it keeps population numbers at healthy
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levels, different organisms provide important ecosystem services, and humans often find new and different
ways to use living things, so the more the better!
What is accurate about this scenario? What is inaccurate?
Usually, there are multiple stressors from a variety of different sources – man made and naturally occurring.
The combination of the stressors is usually the problem. However, in some cases, one stressor can have a
large impact on a species or group of organisms. Stressors aren’t trying to get individual organisms, rather,
organisms in general are impacted by the stressor. If certain organisms disappear from an ecosystem, other
organisms, either new, invasive or already existing species, will move in, like in the game when intolerant
organisms turned into tolerant ones. This again reduces biodiversity, but also can create a feedback affect
that continues to push less tolerant organisms out through competition.
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