Studying Informational Text Unit Test

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Feature

"A Walk Through the Rainbow with PACE"
by Jessica Merzdorf

Why 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.

PACE’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. . .

Understanding 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.

“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.”

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Question
Use this excerpt from the “A Walk Through the Rainbow with PACE" article to answer the question.

Based on the information in the article, make a logical inference about the significance of PACE and its study of phytoplankton populations. In 3–5 sentences, provide specific evidence from the text to support your inference and explain why your reasoning is logical and valid.

(4 points)

Answer 1

The significance of PACE and its study of phytoplankton populations lies in its potential to enhance our understanding of ocean health and the impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on marine ecosystems and human activities. The text states that PACE’s high-resolution instruments will capture fine details about phytoplankton, which are crucial for the marine food web and produce half of Earth's oxygen. Additionally, the article highlights that understanding phytoplankton health can help predict HABs, which can adversely affect marine life, human health, and industries like tourism and fishing. This reasoning is logical because the PACE mission's focus on monitoring phytoplankton directly addresses the urgent need to manage and mitigate the impacts of HABs, thereby benefiting both ecological conservation and local economies.