The Letter Sea Researched Written and Illustrated by

The Letter “Sea” Researched, Written, and Illustrated by: Mrs. Trivette’s Third Grade Class 2012 -2013 1

Table of Contents Introduction, What is a sea? . . Pages 3 -4 What is the difference between an ocean and the sea? Page 5 What are the five smallest seas? . . . . Page 6 Why is the sea salty? . . . Page 7 Why must we protect the Coral Reefs? . . Page 8 What kind of adventures are enjoyed at sea? . . . Page 9 What are some weird sea creatures? . . . Pages 10 -15 Glossary…………………………………. Page 16 2

Fast Fact: Did you know if you were to evaporate all the salt from the sea it would cover a layer of 500 feet all over the earth? What is a Sea? What is your favorite vacation spot? A lot of people would say the sea is their preferred retreat. Have you ever wondered what makes the sea so unique? 3

What is a sea? A sea is a body of saline water that may be connected to an ocean. However, some seas are similar to lakes and do not flow near an ocean. 4

What is the difference between a sea and an ocean? Sea Ocean A sea is part of an ocean that is An ocean is a much larger body close to and partially enclosed of saline water and is not partially enclosed by land. The sea is much smaller than an ocean. Fast Fact: Neptune was the Roman God of the Sea. The planet Neptune is named after this God due to the planet’s bright blue color. 5

Smallest Seas in the Interesting Facts World 1. Gulf of California, Known for the Sea of Cortez variety of Marine Life. 2. Persian Gulf Known for the oil and the Persian Gulf War. 3. Yellow Sea Not as disgusting as it sounds! 4. Baltic Sea 5. North Sea Opposite of the South Sea. 6

Why is the sea salty? Fast Fact: The Red Sea, also known as the Dead Sea and the Indian Ocean are so salty nothing can remain alive. All types of water have a small amount of saline. But what makes the sea so salty? The rain has a little bit of saline that falls into the water. Submarine Volcanoes found under the water erupt and cause the rocks to break down and salt comes out of the rock and goes into the ocean water. When there is a lot of salt in the sea, water evaporates and the salt goes up. When it rains the salt is in the rain but the rain is not as salty. Hydrothermal vents under the sea use heat to breakdown rocks causing salt to go into the water. 7

What are the Coral Reefs? Coral Reefs are beautiful but coral is not a rock or a plant. It is a kind of animal called a polyp (POL-IPS). They are smaller than a pea. When polyps die the skeleton is left behind and forms the reef. How are Coral Reefs Useful? The Coral Reefs are habitats for many marine life. They are fragile and some are used for medicine. Why must we protect the Reefs? They keep the ocean tide from overflowing and causing the beaches to flood. They make medicine, are beautiful, and add value to the sea because they are a habitat for sea creatures. Fast Fact: The biggest threat to the Reefs are humans because of the explosives used for fishing and poison. Humans also cause pollution to the water. Ships also hit the Coral Reefs and damage them. 8

What are some adventures enjoyed at sea? cruise Building a bon-fire on the beach snorkeling kayaking swimming fossil searching watching wildlife building sand castles feeding the birds use binoculars to discover search for seashells fishing 9

What are some weird sea creatures? Longhorn Cowfish A Longhorn Cowfish is covered with snot. It gets its name from the horns that make it look like a cow! 10

Lochness Monster People say a dragon like creature is trapped in the Lochness Lake. Since 1930 over one thousand people claim to have seen the monster. 11

Blob fish A Blob fish is like a blob. It has a squishy body and looks like a man’s head that has been cut off. It is so lackadaisical that whatever floats by gets eaten! 12

Axotli The Axolotl never grows up and looks like a baby for its entire life. The Pokémon was designed to look like this fish. 13

Leafy Sea Dragon One thing about the Leafy Sea Dragon is it has “flipper” like “stuff” looking like leaves that are camouflage. Seaweed is its habitat. 14

Octopus Squid The Octopus Squid has lights on it’s tentacles so it can blind the prey it intends to EAT! 15

Glossary Evaporate: when the sun picks up the water Hydrothermal vents: holes on the ocean floor that traps heat and breaks down rocks causing salt and sand to form. Marine life: life from the sea Ocean tide: waves that reach the shore Polyps: a growth Saline: salt that is in water Seaweed: plants that grow under water Submarine volcanoes: underwater volcanoes under the ocean floor Tentacles: long arm like structures growing from an animals body 16

Sources What is the difference between an ocean and a sea? http: //oceanservice. noaa. gov/facts/oceanorsea. html What kind of adventures are enjoyed at sea? Charlene's Sea of Cortez Journal http: //www. readinga-z. com/book. php? id=857 What are the Coral Reefs and why must we protect them? Coral Reefs http: //www. readinga-z. com/book. php? id=189 What are the 5 smallest seas in the world? http: //www. knowzzle. com/2012/02/5 -smallest-seas-in-the-world/ What is a sea? http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sea What are some interesting sea facts? http: //www. makemegenius. com/cool_facts. php? m. Id=48 What are some animals that live in the sea? http: //kids. nationalgeographic. com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/ What are some weird sea creatures? http: //science. discovery. com/creatures/10 -weirdest-sea-creatures. htm I Wonder. . . http: //wonderopolis. org/category/oceans/ Why is the sea salty? http: //www. utdallas. edu/~pujana/oceans/why. html 17