Ecosystem and Impacts Organizer: Part I
Tanzanian Blast Fishing Causing Coral
Destruction
Imagine a beautiful coral reef that hosts an extremely
diverse population of wildlife. Then, imagine an explosion
going off, killing fish, and destroying coral. Off of the coast
of Tanzania, there are many different coral reefs, but they
are being ruined through destructive fishing techniques like
dynamite fishing.
Home Slide
Titles and subtitles need to be concise and clear. This
should not be a complete thought or have any end
punctuation.
Intro paragraph should:
Hook (a short snapshot could work well here, or an
interesting fact that relates to your key ideas)
Name the ecosystem
Clarify the location
Briefly introduce the problem (but)
List the human impacts in the ecosystem
Many different species live in this ecosystem. Some are Slide: The Ecosystem
fish, mammals, reptiles, or amphibians. Some endangered
Set the stage by describing the ecosystem in detail.
species also live in this ecosystem, including the Topic sentence introduces biotic (creatures) and
abiotic (features)
endangered Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin. There are Elaborate on key species that have been impacted
also important abiotic factors in this environment including (the ones that will be discussed later)
Do not discuss the impacts or problems yet or you
CO2 levels, temperature, ocean depth, and distance from will sound redundant
shore. Temperature is important because coral grows best
in water that is a temperature between seventy and
eighty-five degrees. Coral reefs arent usually very deep in
the ocean, and they are close to shoreline. They grow in
these areas because more sunlight hits them and the
algae they support. Zooxanthellae has a symbiotic
relationship with coral, and it produces oxygen. This helps
decrease CO2 levels and create more oxygen which
allows a more diverse array of fish species. Coral does
many different things for ecosystems like help abiotic
factors and provide shelter to fish.

In Tanzania, people are using explosives to fish. There
aren't very many countries that currently have a problem
with dynamite fishing, and blast fishing is severe along
Slide: Human Activities
Clarify and elaborate on the human activities in this
ecosystem. Describe what they do and why they do it, not
what it does.
most of Tanzania. Near the coast of Tanzania in the Indian
Ocean, there are lots of fish, and many people rely on
fishing economically. Because of this, fishermen are using
explosives so that they can kill hundreds of fish in
seconds, and then they are scooping these fish up with
nets. They can make up to $1800 off of one blast. This
action is also dangerous for people since they are using
explosives. People are using homemade explosives made
from fertilizer and kerosene, and people are using
dynamite. People started blast fishing during the 1960s,
but it is a lot easier for people to get dynamite because of
more construction and mining lately in Tanzania. The coral
reefs in Tanzania, when subjected to blast fishing,results
in coral reef destruction, habitat loss, and decreased fish
population.
The primary impact of this blast fishing is the killing of coral
and fish. When the explosion goes off, it has the chance to
rupture the swim bladder of the fish while also killing it. If
the fish's swim bladder is ruptured, it can't be buoyant and
will sink. On top of that, the explosions are ruining the coral
Topic sentence
Describe human activities (what and why)
Determine which human activity is the key focus
Thesis
The _____________ (ecosystem or species), when
subjected to _____________ (human activity you are
focusing on), results in ___________, __________, and
__________ (primary, secondary, and tertiary impacts).
When/Because of _______________ (human activity) in
_________________ (ecosystem), it
_________________ (is impacted how) three
interrelated ways: _____________, ______________,
and ______________ (primary, secondary, and
tertiary).
Slide: Primary Impact
For each of the 3 impact slides, each paragraph should:
Introduce the impact (topic sentence), perhaps
including a transition word (although primary or
secondary would also make it pretty clear)
Elaborate!
on the coast. Coral are an animal, and they create a Explanation
Evidence
skeleton to protect them, but the blasts destroy the
Quote
skeletons and kill the coral. It can take up to 10,000 years Only use a quote in 1-2 slides
Quotes should not be longer than 12
for a coral reef to form. This impact is destroying coral words, so use the most powerful or
reefs and is ruining important shoreline habitat. convincing part without changing the
meaning
Quotes work best to emphasize a
point already made and therefore go
toward the end of the paragraph
Make it clear who said it, why they are
a credible source, and an in-text
citation (parenthetical)
Concluding sentence: So What?
For the first two impacts, the So
What sets up the resulting impact on
the next slide

A secondary impact of blast fishing is the destruction of Slide: Secondary Impact

marine habitat that is important to a diverse amount of fish
For each of the 3 impact slides, each paragraph should:
and mammals. In Tanzania, many species rely on the coral
Introduce the impact (topic sentence), perhaps
reefs, including endangered species. Around the world, including a transition word (although primary or
"25% of all marine species are associated with coral secondary would also make it pretty clear)
Elaborate!
reefs". (BBC, 2014) Types of species including Explanation
crustaceans, amphibians, and reptiles also rely on Evidence
Quote
Tanzania's coral reefs. Some of these fish include potato Only use a quote in 1-2 slides
Quotes should not be longer than 12
groupers, napoleon wrasse, black triggerfish, titan words, so use the most powerful or
convincing part without changing the
triggerfish, parrotfish, and sweetlips. Coral supports
meaning
species that undergo photosynthesis, which helps reduce Quotes work best to emphasize a
point already made and therefore go
CO2 levels and increase dissolved oxygen, so killing them toward the end of the paragraph
can stop important biotic and abiotic Make it clear who said it, why they are
a credible source, and an in-text
relationships.Destroying the habitat important to wildlife citation (parenthetical)
leads to population decline. Concluding sentence: So What?
For the first two impacts, the So
What sets up the resulting impact on
the next slide

In Tanzania, loss of habitat from blast fishing is decreasing Slide: Tertiary Impact
the population of fish. The Society for Environmental
For each of the 3 impact slides, each paragraph should:
Exploration (SEE) leads activities including assessments
Introduce the impact (topic sentence), perhaps
of reefs and management plans for marine parks. The SEE including a transition word (although primary or
says that marine life was severely threatened by secondary would also make it pretty clear)
Elaborate!
indiscriminate use of destructive fishing techniques. (SEE, Explanation
2011) This shows that blast fishing is leading to a Evidence
Quote
decrease in fish populations in Tanzania. If blast fishing Only use a quote in 1-2 slides
does not stop, it will continue to cause an increased Quotes should not be longer than 12
words, so use the most powerful or
destruction to the wildlife on the coast of Tanzania. convincing part without changing the
meaning
Quotes work best to emphasize a
point already made and therefore go
 toward the end of the paragraph
Make it clear who said it, why they are
a credible source, and an in-text
citation (parenthetical)
Concluding sentence: So What?
For the first two impacts, the So
What sets up the resulting impact on
the next slide