full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Mike Gil: The big-beaked, rock-munching fish that protect coral reefs

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Unfortunately, human activities over the last several decades have disrupted almost every part of this complex system. In many coral reefs, overfishing has reduced the number of parrotfish, as well as other seaweed eaters, such as surgeonfish and rabbitfish. This has led to ucecnkehd seaweed growth, which tanrheets to degrade entire coral reefs. The parrotfish that remain live in much semallr communities. Their reduced numbers can weaken their soical network, making snvurivig fish more timid and less effective at ctorlilonng saeeewd.

tdaoy, climate cnhgae and ptiolloun are lowering coral’s natural defenses while contributing to runaway seaweed growth— lvnaieg reef ecosystems more fragile than ever. Our reefs are vitally important to both marine and human life. Their unparalleled biodiversity offers uunqie opportunities for ecotourism, sustainable fishing, and snetiiifcc research, while their rocky structures guard coastlines from waves and storm surges. Fortunately, continued research into reef species like the quirky and critical parrotfish can inform new strategies for preserving these essential ecosystems.

Open Cloze


Unfortunately, human activities over the last several decades have disrupted almost every part of this complex system. In many coral reefs, overfishing has reduced the number of parrotfish, as well as other seaweed eaters, such as surgeonfish and rabbitfish. This has led to _________ seaweed growth, which _________ to degrade entire coral reefs. The parrotfish that remain live in much _______ communities. Their reduced numbers can weaken their ______ network, making _________ fish more timid and less effective at ___________ _______.

_____, climate ______ and _________ are lowering coral’s natural defenses while contributing to runaway seaweed growth— _______ reef ecosystems more fragile than ever. Our reefs are vitally important to both marine and human life. Their unparalleled biodiversity offers ______ opportunities for ecotourism, sustainable fishing, and __________ research, while their rocky structures guard coastlines from waves and storm surges. Fortunately, continued research into reef species like the quirky and critical parrotfish can inform new strategies for preserving these essential ecosystems.

Solution


  1. controlling
  2. smaller
  3. change
  4. social
  5. threatens
  6. today
  7. scientific
  8. unchecked
  9. leaving
  10. surviving
  11. unique
  12. pollution
  13. seaweed

Original Text


Unfortunately, human activities over the last several decades have disrupted almost every part of this complex system. In many coral reefs, overfishing has reduced the number of parrotfish, as well as other seaweed eaters, such as surgeonfish and rabbitfish. This has led to unchecked seaweed growth, which threatens to degrade entire coral reefs. The parrotfish that remain live in much smaller communities. Their reduced numbers can weaken their social network, making surviving fish more timid and less effective at controlling seaweed.

Today, climate change and pollution are lowering coral’s natural defenses while contributing to runaway seaweed growth— leaving reef ecosystems more fragile than ever. Our reefs are vitally important to both marine and human life. Their unparalleled biodiversity offers unique opportunities for ecotourism, sustainable fishing, and scientific research, while their rocky structures guard coastlines from waves and storm surges. Fortunately, continued research into reef species like the quirky and critical parrotfish can inform new strategies for preserving these essential ecosystems.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
coral reefs 3
nearby fish 2


Important Words


  1. activities
  2. biodiversity
  3. change
  4. climate
  5. coastlines
  6. communities
  7. complex
  8. continued
  9. contributing
  10. controlling
  11. coral
  12. critical
  13. decades
  14. defenses
  15. degrade
  16. disrupted
  17. eaters
  18. ecosystems
  19. ecotourism
  20. effective
  21. entire
  22. essential
  23. fish
  24. fishing
  25. fortunately
  26. fragile
  27. growth
  28. guard
  29. human
  30. important
  31. inform
  32. leaving
  33. led
  34. life
  35. live
  36. lowering
  37. making
  38. marine
  39. natural
  40. network
  41. number
  42. numbers
  43. offers
  44. opportunities
  45. overfishing
  46. parrotfish
  47. part
  48. pollution
  49. preserving
  50. quirky
  51. rabbitfish
  52. reduced
  53. reef
  54. reefs
  55. remain
  56. research
  57. rocky
  58. runaway
  59. scientific
  60. seaweed
  61. smaller
  62. social
  63. species
  64. storm
  65. strategies
  66. structures
  67. surgeonfish
  68. surges
  69. surviving
  70. sustainable
  71. system
  72. threatens
  73. timid
  74. today
  75. unchecked
  76. unique
  77. unparalleled
  78. vitally
  79. waves
  80. weaken