"A Walk Through the Rainbow with PACE"%0D%0Aby Jessica Merzdorf%0D%0A%0D%0AWhy are there so many songs about rainbows? For NASA’s upcoming Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem mission, or PACE, the colors of the rainbow — or, if you prefer, the visible wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum — are the key to unlocking a wealth of new data on skies and seas around the world.%0D%0A%0D%0APACE’s high-resolution instruments will see ocean and atmosphere features in unparalleled detail when the mission launches in 2023. By measuring the intensity of the color that exits Earth’s ocean surface, PACE will capture fine details about phytoplankton — tiny plantlike organisms and algae that live in the ocean — that are the basis of the marine food web and generate half of Earth’s oxygen. Beneficial phytoplankton communities fuel fisheries, but harmful algal blooms (HABs) can poison animals and humans and disrupt tourism and fishing industries. . .%0D%0A%0D%0AUnderstanding phytoplankton health can help predict harmful algal blooms, or HABs. When substances from land wash into the ocean, they sometimes become a feast for algae, allowing them to eat, grow and multiply rapidly. HABs can generate harmful toxins that sicken marine wildlife and humans and deplete oxygen in the water as bacteria feed on numerous dead algae.%0D%0A%0D%0A“Harmful algal blooms are not recent. We have writings from indigenous tribes in the Pacific Northwest that talk about things happening on the beach,” said Cetinić. “It’s just that today we’re looking for it more, and also anthropogenic influences are making blooms more prevalent.”%0D%0A%0D%0A1 of 2%0D%0AQuestion%0D%0AUse this excerpt from the “A Walk Through the Rainbow with PACE” article to answer the question.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhich statement represents an inference drawn from the text? Select the two correct answers.

1 answer

Based on the excerpt from "A Walk Through the Rainbow with PACE," here are two potential inferences that can be drawn:

  1. Human activities have contributed to the increased prevalence of harmful algal blooms. This inference is supported by the statement from Cetinić regarding anthropogenic influences and the expectation that harmful algal blooms are being observed more frequently today than in the past.

  2. Monitoring phytoplankton health can lead to better management of marine resources. This inference can be made from the text's discussion about the importance of phytoplankton in the marine food web and the relationship between phytoplankton health and the prediction of harmful algal blooms, which have significant impacts on fisheries and ocean health.

These inferences are drawn from the implications of the information presented about the connection between human influence, phytoplankton health, and the consequences for marine environments.