"Traian" High School, Constanta-Romania

1. LIFE IN THE
SEA
IVAN ALEXA STEFANIA
PAUNESCU MATEI

2. THE SEAHORSE THE SHARK
• SEAHORSE IS THE NAME GIVEN TO 54
SPECIES OF SMALL MARINE FISHES IN THE
GENUS HIPPOCAMPUS. HAVING A HEAD
AND NECK SUGGESTIVE OF A HORSE,
SEAHORSES ALSO FEATURE SEGMENTED
BONY ARMOUR, AN UPRIGHT POSTURE AND
A CURLED PREHENSILE TAIL. SEAHORSES
ARE MAINLY FOUND IN SHALLOW TROPICAL
AND TEMPERATE WATERS THROUGHOUT
THE WORLD, FROM ABOUT 45°S TO 45°N
AND LIVE IN SHELTERED AREAS SUCH AS
SEAGRASS BEDS, ESTUARIES, CORAL
REEFS, OR MANGROVES
• SHARKS ARE A GROUP OF FISH
CHARACTERIZED BY A CARTILAGINOUS
SKELETON, FIVE TO SEVEN GILL SLITS ON
THE SIDES OF THE HEAD, AND PECTORAL
FINS THAT ARE NOT FUSED TO THE HEAD.
THEY GENERALLY DO NOT LIVE IN
FRESHWATER ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A
FEW KNOWN EXCEPTIONS WHICH CAN
SURVIVE AND BE FOUND IN BOTH
SEAWATER AND FRESHWATER. SHARKS
HAVE A COVERING OF DERMAL DENTICLES
THAT PROTECTS THEIR SKIN FROM
DAMAGE AND PARASITES IN ADDITION TO
IMPROVING THEIR FLUID DYNAMICS. THEY
HAVE NUMEROUS SETS OF REPLACEABLE

3. THE OCTOPUS THE WHALE
• THE OCTOPUS IS A CEPHALOPOD MOLLUSC OF THE
ORDER OCTOPODA. IT HAS TWO EYES AND FOUR
PAIRS OF ARMS AND, IT IS BILATERALLY SYMMETRIC.
IT HAS A BEAK, WITH ITS MOUTH AT THE CENTER
POINT OF THE ARMS. IT HAS NO INTERNAL OR
EXTERNAL ALLOWING IT TO SQUEEZE THROUGH
TIGHT PLACES. OCTOPUSES ARE AMONG THE MOST
INTELLIGENT AND BEHAVIORALLY DIVERSE OF ALL
INVERTEBRATES.
• OCTOPUSES INHABIT DIVERSE REGIONS OF THE
OCEAN, INCLUDING CORAL REEFS, PELAGIC
WATERS, AND THE OCEAN FLOOR. THEY HAVE
NUMEROUS STRATEGIES FOR DEFENDING
THEMSELVES AGAINST PREDATORS, INCLUDING THE
EXPULSION OF INK, THE USE OF CAMOUFLAGE AND
DEIMATIC DISPLAYS, THEIR ABILITY TO JET QUICKLY
THROUGH THE WATER, AND THEIR ABILITY TO HIDE.
THEY TRAIL THEIR EIGHT ARMS BEHIND THEM AS
THEY SWIM. ALL OCTOPUSES ARE VENOMOUS, BUT
ONLY ONE GROUP, THE BLUE-RINGED OCTOPUS, IS
• WHALE IS THE COMMON NAME FOR A WIDELY
DISTRIBUTED AND DIVERSE GROUP OF FULLY
AQUATIC PLACENTAL MARINE MAMMALS.
WHALES ARE CREATURES OF THE OPEN
OCEAN; THEY FEED, MATE, GIVE BIRTH,
SUCKLE AND RAISE THEIR YOUNG AT SEA. SO
EXTREME IS THEIR ADAPTATION TO LIFE
UNDERWATER THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO
SURVIVE ON LAND. BALEEN WHALES HAVE NO
TEETH; INSTEAD THEY HAVE PLATES OF
BALEEN, A FRINGE-LIKE STRUCTURE USED TO
EXPEL WATER WHILE RETAINING THE KRILL
AND PLANKTON WHICH THEY FEED ON. THEY
USE THEIR THROAT PLEATS TO EXPAND THE
MOUTH TO TAKE IN HUGE GULPS OF WATER.

4. THE DOLPHIN THE SEAL
• DOLPHINS ARE A WIDELY DISTRIBUTED AND
DIVERSE GROUP OF FULLY AQUATIC
MARINE MAMMALS. THEY HAVE
STREAMLINED BODIES AND TWO LIMBS
THAT ARE MODIFIED INTO FLIPPERS.
THOUGH NOT QUITE AS FLEXIBLE AS
SEALS, SOME DOLPHINS CAN TRAVEL AT
55.5 KILOMETRES PER HOUR (34.5 MPH).
DOLPHINS USE THEIR CONICAL SHAPED
TEETH TO CAPTURE FAST MOVING PREY.
THEY HAVE WELL-DEVELOPED HEARING—
THEIR HEARING, WHICH IS ADAPTED FOR
BOTH AIR AND WATER, IS SO WELL
DEVELOPED THAT SOME CAN SURVIVE
EVEN IF THEY ARE BLIND. SOME SPECIES
ARE WELL ADAPTED FOR DIVING TO GREAT
DEPTHS. THEY HAVE A LAYER OF FAT, OR
• PINNIPEDS COMMONLY KNOWN AS
SEALS, ARE A WIDELY DISTRIBUTED
AND DIVERSE CLADE OF
CARNIVOROUS, FIN-FOOTED,
SEMIAQUATIC MARINE MAMMALS.
THEY HAVE STREAMLINED BODIES AND
FOUR LIMBS THAT ARE MODIFIED INTO
FLIPPERS. THOUGH NOT AS FAST IN
THE WATER AS DOLPHINS, SEALS ARE
MORE FLEXIBLE AND AGILE. PINNIPEDS
HAVE WELL-DEVELOPED SENSES—
THEIR EYESIGHT AND HEARING ARE
ADAPTED FOR BOTH AIR AND WATER,
AND THEY HAVE AN ADVANCED
TACTILE SYSTEM IN THEIR WHISKERS

5. THE TURTLE THE PARROTFISH
• TURTLES ARE REPTILES OF THE
ORDER TESTUDINES CHARACTERISED
BY A SPECIAL BONY OR
CARTILAGINOUS SHELL DEVELOPED
FROM THEIR RIBS AND ACTING AS A
SHIELD. TURTLES ARE ECTOTHERMS—
THEIR INTERNAL TEMPERATURE
VARIES ACCORDING TO THE AMBIENT
ENVIRONMENT, COMMONLY CALLED
COLD-BLOODED. HOWEVER, BECAUSE
OF THEIR HIGH METABOLIC RATE,
LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLES HAVE A
BODY TEMPERATURE THAT IS
NOTICEABLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF
• PARROTFISHES ARE FOUND IN RELATIVELY
SHALLOW TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL
OCEANS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD IN
CORAL REEFS, ROCKY COASTS, AND
SEAGRASS BEDS, AND PLAY A SIGNIFICANT
ROLE IN BIOEROSION. PARROTFISH ARE
NAMED FOR THEIR DENTITION, WHICH IS
DISTINCT FROM OTHER FISHES, INCLUDING
OTHER LABRIDS. THEIR NUMEROUS TEETH
ARE ARRANGED IN A TIGHTLY PACKED
MOSAIC ON THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF
THEIR JAW BONES, FORMING A PARROT-
LIKE BEAK WITH WHICH THEY RASP ALGAE
FROM CORAL AND OTHER ROCKY
SUBSTRATES.

6. THE LIONFISH THE SCORPIONFISH
• PTEROIS IS A GENUS OF VENOMOUS
MARINE FISH, COMMONLY KNOWN AS
LIONFISH, NATIVE TO THE INDO-PACIFIC.
IT IS CHARACTERIZED BY CONSPICUOUS
WARNING COLORATION WITH RED,
WHITE, CREAMY, OR BLACK BANDS,
SHOWY PECTORAL FINS, AND
VENOMOUS SPIKY FIN PTEROIS SPECIES
ARE POPULAR AQUARIUM FISH. THEY
ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR ORNATE
BEAUTY, VENOMOUS SPINES, AND
UNIQUE TENTACLES.
• SCORPAENIDAE, THE SCORPIONFISH, ARE A
FAMILY OF MOSTLY MARINE FISH THAT
INCLUDES MANY OF THE WORLD'S MOST
VENOMOUS SPECIES. AS THE NAME
SUGGESTS, SCORPIONFISH HAVE A TYPE
OF "STING" IN THE FORM OF SHARP SPINES
COATED WITH VENOMOUS MUCUS. THE
FAMILY IS A LARGE ONE, WITH HUNDREDS
OF MEMBERS. THEY ARE WIDESPREAD IN
TROPICAL AND TEMPERATE SEAS, BUT
MOSTLY FOUND IN THE INDO-PACIFIC. THEY
SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED WITH THE
CABEZONES, OF THE GENUS
SCORPAENICHTHYS, WHICH BELONG TO A
SEPARATE, THOUGH RELATED, FAMILY,

7. THE BLACK SEA
• THE BLACK SEA IS A BODY OF WATER BETWEEN
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE AND WESTERN ASIA, BOUNDED BY
BULGARIA, GEORGIA, ROMANIA, RUSSIA, TURKEY, AND
UKRAINE. THE BLACK SEA SUPPORTS AN ACTIVE AND DYNAMIC
MARINE ECOSYSTEM, DOMINATED BY SPECIES SUITED TO THE
BRACKISH, NUTRIENT-RICH, CONDITIONS. AS WITH ALL MARINE
FOOD WEBS, THE BLACK SEA FEATURES A RANGE OF TROPHIC
GROUPS, WITH AUTOTROPHIC ALGAE, INCLUDING DIATOMS
AND DINOFLAGELLATES, ACTING AS PRIMARY PRODUCERS.
THE MAIN PHYTOPLANKTON GROUPS PRESENT IN THE BLACK
SEA ARE DINOFLAGELLATES, DIATOMS, COCCOLITHOPHORES
AND CYANOBACTERIA. GENERALLY, THE ANNUAL CYCLE OF
PHYTOPLANKTON DEVELOPMENT COMPRISES SIGNIFICANT
DIATOM AND DINOFLAGELLATE-DOMINATED SPRING
PRODUCTION, FOLLOWED BY A WEAKER MIXED ASSEMBLAGE
OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BELOW THE SEASONAL
THERMOCLINE DURING SUMMER MONTHS AND A SURFACE-
INTENSIFIED AUTUMN PRODUCTION.

8. ENDEMIC ANIMAL SPECIES
• ZEBRA MUSSEL - THE BLACK SEA ALONG WITH THE CASPIAN SEA IS PART OF
THE ZEBRA MUSSEL'S NATIVE RANGE. THE MUSSEL HAS BEEN ACCIDENTALLY
INTRODUCED AROUND THE WORLD AND BECOME AN INVASIVE SPECIES WHERE IT
HAS BEEN INTRODUCED.
• COMMON CARP - THE COMMON CARP'S NATIVE RANGE EXTENDS TO THE BLACK
SEA ALONG WITH THE CASPIAN SEA AND ARAL SEA. LIKE THE ZEBRA MUSSEL THE
COMMON CARP IS AN INVASIVE SPECIES WHEN INTRODUCED TO OTHER HABITATS.
• ROUND GOBY - IS ANOTHER NATIVE FISH THAT IS ALSO FOUND IN THE CASPIAN
SEA. IT PREYS UPON ZEBRA MUSSELS. LIKE THE MUSSELS AND COMMON CARP IT
HAS BECOME INVASIVE WHEN INTRODUCED TO OTHER ENVIRONMENTS, LIKE THE
GREAT LAKES.
• MARINE MAMMALS AND MARINE MEGAFAUNAS - MARINE MAMMALS PRESENT
WITHIN THE BASIN INCLUDE TWO SPECIES OF DOLPHINS (COMMON AND
BOTTLENOSE) AND HARBOUR PORPOISE INHABIT THE SEA ALTHOUGH ALL OF
THESE ARE ENDANGERED DUE TO PRESSURES AND IMPACTS BY HUMAN
ACTIVITIES. ALL THE THREE SPECIES HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A DISTINCT
SUBSPECIES FROM THOSE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND IN ATLANTIC SEAS AND

9. CLIMATE
• SHORT-TERM CLIMATIC VARIATION IN THE BLACK SEA REGION IS SIGNIFICANTLY
INFLUENCED BY THE OPERATION OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION, THE
CLIMATIC MECHANISMS RESULTING FROM THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE
NORTH ATLANTIC AND MID-LATITUDE AIR MASSES.WHILE THE EXACT MECHANISMS
CAUSING THE NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION REMAIN UNCLEAR, IT IS THOUGHT
THE CLIMATE CONDITIONS ESTABLISHED IN WESTERN EUROPE MEDIATE THE HEAT
AND PRECIPITATION FLUXES REACHING CENTRAL EUROPE AND EURASIA,
REGULATING THE FORMATION OF WINTER CYCLONES, WHICH ARE LARGELY
RESPONSIBLE FOR REGIONAL PRECIPITATION INPUTS AND INFLUENCE
MEDITERRANEAN SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES (SST'S).
• THE RELATIVE STRENGTH OF THESE SYSTEMS ALSO LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF COLD
AIR ARRIVING FROM NORTHERN REGIONS DURING WINTEROTHER INFLUENCING
FACTORS INCLUDE THE REGIONAL TOPOGRAPHY, AS DEPRESSIONS AND STORMS
SYSTEMS ARRIVING FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN ARE FUNNELED THROUGH THE
LOW LAND AROUND THE BOSPHORUS, PONTIC AND CAUCASUS MOUNTAIN RANGES

10. HISTORY
• THE BLACK SEA WAS A BUSY WATERWAY ON THE CROSSROADS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD:
THE BALKANS TO THE WEST, THE EURASIAN STEPPES TO THE NORTH, CAUCASUS AND
CENTRAL ASIA TO THE EAST, ASIA MINOR AND MESOPOTAMIA TO THE SOUTH, AND GREECE
TO THE SOUTH-WEST.
• THE OLDEST PROCESSED GOLD IN THE WORLD WAS FOUND IN VARNA, AND THE BLACK SEA
WAS SUPPOSEDLY SAILED BY THE ARGONAUTS. THE LAND AT THE EASTERN END OF THE
BLACK SEA, COLCHIS, (NOW GEORGIA), MARKED FOR THE GREEKS THE EDGE OF THE
KNOWN WORLD.
• THE STEPPES TO THE NORTH OF THE BLACK SEA HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED AS THE ORIGINAL
HOMELAND (URHEIMAT) OF THE SPEAKERS OF THE PROTO-INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE,
(PIE) THE PROGENITOR OF THE INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE FAMILY, BY SOME SCHOLARS
SUCH AS MARIJA GIMBUTAS; OTHERS MOVE THE HEARTLAND FURTHER EAST TOWARDS THE
CASPIAN SEA, YET OTHERS TO ANATOLIA.
• THE BLACK SEA BECAME AN OTTOMAN NAVY LAKE WITHIN FIVE YEARS OF GENOA LOSING
THE CRIMEA IN 1479, AFTER WHICH THE ONLY WESTERN MERCHANT VESSELS TO SAIL ITS
WATERS WERE THOSE OF VENICE'S OLD RIVAL RAGUSA. THIS RESTRICTION WAS
GRADUALLY CHANGED BY THE RUSSIAN NAVY FROM 1783 UNTIL THE RELAXATION OF

11. BY WHICH COUNTRIES IS THE BLACK SEA
BOUNDED ?
• ROMANIA, UKRAINE, SLOVAKIA, MACEDONIA
AND TURKEY
• MOLDOVA, ROMANIA, TURKEY, RUSIA AND
SLOVAKIA
• BULGARIA, GEORGIA, ROMANIA, RUSSIA,
TURKEY, AND UKRAINE
• POLAND, UKRAINE, TURKEY, GEORGIA,
ESTONIA AND SWEDEN

12. WELL DONE!
•CONTINUE QUIZ 

13. WRONG
•TRY AGAIN
•NEXT QUESTION

14. THE OLDEST PROCESSED GOLD IN THE
WORLD WAS FOUND IN VARNA
•TRUE
•FALSE

15. WELL DONE!
•CONTINUE QUIZ 

16. WRONG
•TRY AGAIN
•NEXT QUESTION

17. CHOOSE THE LIONFISH FROM THE
PICTURES BELOW

18. CORECT
•FINISH QUIZ 

19. WRONG
•TRY AGAIN 
•FINISH QUIZ

20. CONGRATULATIONS
!!!