Overview: Living Resources of the Ocean

In this unit, students are initially introduced to seafood sold in Hawai‘i. They consult newspaper seafood advertisements to define and identify the different types of seafood consumed by islanders. Students review the role of decomposers in marine ecosystems, and construct diagrams linking decomposers to producers and consumers in food chains and webs, noting that decomposers help recycle the energy that is available in ecosystems. Students investigate what happens to the cycle of matter and flow of energy when humans are introduced into the food chain. They also consult United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) dietary guidelines to investigate the benefi ts and potential hazards of eating seafood.