Pollution of the sea and wetlands, and climate change
Reefs, mangroves and beaches feed us, protect our coasts and bring in tourists. Pollution and a warming climate are damaging all three, and small islands feel it first.
By the end of this page you can
- Explain how fertiliser, sewage, oil and plastic harm the sea and wetlands
- Describe greenhouse gases, warming, rising seas and ocean acidification
- Put the steps of eutrophication in order
- Define eutrophication, greenhouse gas, ocean acidification and coral bleaching
- Explain why small island states are so vulnerable
Goals tick themselves off as you try the activities below.
Photo: NOAA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped, resized, JPEG q64.
Bleached brain coral, Florida Keys, 2023. Water that stays too hot makes coral lose the algae that feed it.
How often it shows up in past papers
Paper 1 counts come from our past-paper bank of CSEC Biology Paper 1s. Paper 2 is not included yet.
Four ways we pollute the coast
Tap each card.
Six trends to know
Tap a trend to see what it does.
What does it do?
Pick a trend on the list.
Small islands are hit hardest: most people, roads and hotels sit on the coast, and fishing and tourism depend on healthy reefs.
Too much fertiliser
Drag or tap each card into its slot.
How do the nutrients get in?
Six terms to know cold
Say what each term means before you flip the card. Then link it to one Caribbean example.
Six quick questions, then a real one
Pick an answer to see why it’s right or wrong.
Eutrophication kills fish mainly because
Which gas is the main cause of ocean acidification?
Coral bleaching is mainly caused by
Sea levels rise because
Oil harms seabirds mainly because it
Why do mangrove wetlands matter to an island?
exam style · 4 marks
Explain why Caribbean small island states are especially vulnerable to climate change. Refer to rising sea levels and ocean warming.
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Practice questions are written by My V.I.P. Academy. They are not official CXC papers.