Lesson 4: The Sea

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• Middelbare school
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Lesson 4: The sea

Let's go Europe lesson 4

The Coasts

Europe has thousands and thousands of kilometres of coastline, which nature has shaped in various ways. There are tall rocky clifs and beaches of sand or colourful pebbles formed by the sea as it pounds away at the rocks, century after century.

Fjords and Dunes

In Norway, glaciers have carved the coast into steep-sided valleys called fjords. In some other countries, the sea and wind pile up the sand into

dunes. The highest dune in Europe is the Dune du Pyla, in France. It reaches a height of

107 metres.

Fauna

Many kinds of fish and other animals live in the sea around Europe’s coasts. They provide food for sea

birds, and for marine mammals such as seals. Where rivers flow into the sea, flocks of waders come to

feed, at low tide, on creatures that live in the mud.

People

The sea is important for people too. The Mediterranean was so important to the Romans that they called it Mare Nostrum:

‘our sea’. Down through the centuries, Europeans have sailed the world’s oceans, discovered the other continents, explored

them, traded with them and made their homes there. Which we will talk about in a later lesson. 

Cargo

Cargo boats from around the world bring all kinds of goods (often packed in containers) to Europe’s busy ports. Here they are unloaded on to trains, lorries and barges. Then the ships

load up with goods that have been produced here and that are going to be sold on other continents.

Fishing

Fishing has always been important for people in Europe. Whole towns have grown up around fishing harbours and thousands of people earn their living by catching and selling fish or providing for the fishermen and their families.

Modern fishing boats, such as factory trawlers, can catch huge numbers of fish. To make sure that enough are left in the sea, European countries have agreed rules about how many fish can be caught and about using nets that let young fish escape. 

Farming Fish

Another way to make sure we have enough fish is to farm them.

On the coasts of northern Europe, salmon are reared in large cages

in the sea. Shellfish such as mussels, oysters and clams can be farmed in the same way.

Protecting the coast

Europe’s coasts and the sea are important to wildlife and to people. So we need to look after them. We have to prevent them from becoming polluted by waste from factories and towns. 

Oil tankers sometimes have accidents, spilling huge amounts of oil into the sea. This can turn beaches black and kill thousands of seabirds. European countries are working together to try to prevent these things from happening again and to make sure that our coastline will remain beautiful for

future generations to enjoy.

Assignment

Imagine you're part of the goverment of the European Union and you've been asked to make a decision on a coastal area that will be protected. 

Together with your neighbour, choose a part of the coast of Europe and take a look at what it is like. Research the: 

- Wildlife (Fauna)

- Plantlife (Flora)

- Is it special? Why (not)?

-What does it look like?

-Do you think it should be protected or not? Why (not)?

On the google classroom you will also find a map of Europe. Make sure you mark your coastal area on the map.