Coastal Ecosystem Changes: Sea Star Wasting Disease

Learn about the effects of a real-life disease on marine ecosystems in this informative worksheet! Students will read a passage about the impact of sea star wasting disease on kelp forests and purple sea urchin populations. Using the text and the accompanying graphs, students will answer questions about why the decrease in sea star populations resulted in certain changes to the kelp forest ecosystem, such as an observed increase in seawater carbon dioxide levels. 

This middle school worksheet will challenge students to use text evidence and empirical data to explain a phenomenon. Young scientists will consider how changes to the population of one species can affect the rest of the organisms and environment of an ecosystem. They can also learn important vocabulary terms such as keystone species and carbon sink. 

Keep studying ecosystems in Ecosystem Changes: Amphibian Survival in Vernal Pools, The Importance of Biodiversity, and Population Growth Factors.