Flashcards
Salish Sea Activity Book
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Salish Sea Activity Book – Flashcards
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| What is the Salish Sea? | The traditional name for the inland waters of Canada and Washington State, stretching from Puget Sound to Johnstone Strait, used by First Nation peoples who historically and presently inhabit the area. |
| How was the Salish Sea area formed? | About 10,000 years ago, massive rivers of ice flowed from northern ice fields through the Georgia Strait; when they hit the Olympic Mountains, they split toward Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia. Glaciers carved the area and left gravel, sand, clay, and till when they retreated. |
| Why is the Salish Sea so biologically productive? | River discharge carries nutrients to the ocean, and upwelling brings cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface. |
| Geoduck | The largest of all clams; too big for its shell, so it lives buried about 3 feet deep in sand and uses two tubes in its long neck (siphon) to take in food and expel waste. |
| Sea Star (Starfish) | More species found on the northwest coast than anywhere else in the world; usually has 5 arms (the Sunflower Sea Star may have 20+); can regrow a lost arm. |
| Sea Anemone | Clings to rocks with a suction disk, moves very slowly, and uses stinging cells (nematocysts) in its tentacles to paralyze small crabs or fish before eating them. |
| Pacific Harbor Seal | The most common marine mammal in the Salish Sea; a "true seal" with no external ear flaps, can't bring hind flippers under it to walk, and can dive up to 1,380 feet for up to 28 minutes. |
| Orca (Killer Whale) lifestyles | Three types live in the Salish Sea: residents, transients, and offshore; males have tall straight dorsal fins (up to 5 ft), females have smaller triangular fins (3-4 ft). |
| Sea Urchin | Round, spine-covered animal that uses its spines to "walk" like stilts; purple urchins live on wave-swept rocks, green urchins in quieter tidepools; they eat algae, seaweed, and plankton. |
| Giant Pacific Octopus | The largest octopus species in the world, weighing up to 600 pounds with an arm-spread over 31 feet. |
| Spiny Dogfish | The most common shark in the Salish Sea, growing up to 5 feet long, often seen at the surface at dawn or dusk; named for the spine on its back. |
| Hermit Crab | A crab with no shell of its own that uses empty shells from other animals as its home, moving to larger shells as it grows. |
| Halibut | A very large flatfish; females can grow to nearly 500 pounds and 9 feet long, males about half that size; most caught are juveniles around 35 pounds. |
| Sea Otter | Lives in kelp forests, wraps itself in kelp fronds to avoid drifting while sleeping, eats shellfish (cracking shells on rocks on its chest), and helps keep kelp forests healthy by controlling sea urchin populations. |
| Tufted Puffin | Eats mostly small fish (6-8 inches), dives using its wings as paddles, and can carry up to 6 fish crosswise in its bill using its rough tongue to hold fish against its upper jaw. |
| Salmon fact | Salmon must return to the same area in the same river where they were born. |
| Environmental message of the book | Beaches, rocky shores, marshes, and oceans are homes to many plants and animals; be respectful, take trash with you, and leave only footprints. |
| Salish Sea habitats mentioned | Sandy beaches, eelgrass meadows, broad expanses of open ocean, and rocky shores—each supporting different plants and animals. |
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