Download This Full Lesson: Marine Ecosystems
Lesson Description: Students will gain a better understanding of the intricacies within the Gulf of Maine marine ecosystem after completing this lesson. A classic example of how small changes can affect an entire ecosystem is the sea urchin-kelp story in Maine. Following the collapse of the cod fishery in Maine, green sea urchin populations exploded. The ecosystem became an urchin-dominated system. In the 1980s, fishermen discovered the high value of harvesting sea urchins and the aggressive overharvesting of the green sea urchin resulted in massive declines along the coast. Because urchins are grazers … view full description & alignments