9781422284865

The Scientists and Their Science 1

ore than 70 percent of the earth is covered by water. That wa- ter is the source of our life, of our rainwater, and of snowfall that melts. It brings warmth to shorelines, soaks up danger- ous gases from the air…and, of course, it’s great to swim in! The oceans of the world are filled with an amazing variety of ani- mals, from microscopic plankton to the largest animals ever to live on the planet. By studying the ocean and everything that lives in it, marine biologists are doing work that is vital to the health of our planet. To do that job, they don’t sit in a lab or spend time in dusty libraries. To find out what they need to find out, they are out in the oceans of the world, diving, discovering, and learning.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND plankton  an aquatic form of plant life

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