The Salish Sea Ecosystem

🌿 The Salish Sea Ecosystem / L’écosystème de la mer des Salish

What makes an ecosystem? / Qu’est-ce qu’un écosystème ?

An ecosystem (un écosystème) is a community of living things (les êtres vivants)—plants, animals, and microorganisms—and their environment (l’environnement). In the Salish Sea, all parts of nature are connected (interconnectés): the land (la terre), the sea (la mer), and the air (l’air).
Every element depends on the others. Trees provide shade and oxygen for streams, rivers carry nutrients to the ocean, and the ocean feeds life everywhere. The Coast Salish Peoples teach that Tout est lié — everything is connected.

Land, Sea, and Air Connections / Les liens entre la terre, la mer et l’air

In the Salish Sea region, the forests, rivers, and ocean work together. Salmon (le saumon) are born in rivers, swim to the sea, and return to the same river to lay their eggs. Orcas (les orques) depend on salmon for food. The underwater kelp forests (les forêts de kelp) create shelter and oxygen for many different species (les espèces).
Birds like eagles and herons fly between the land and the sea, showing how the air, water, and earth form one big living system (un grand système vivant).

How energy and matter move through nature / L’énergie et la matière dans la nature

In nature, energy (l’énergie) moves from the sun (le soleil) to plants, to animals, and back into the earth. Plants and plankton capture sunlight to grow. Small fish eat plankton, bigger fish eat small fish, and orcas eat salmon. This is called a food chain (la chaîne alimentaire).
When living things die, their bodies return nutrients to the soil and the ocean, helping new life grow. Nothing is wasted — rien n’est gaspillé — in a balanced ecosystem.

How people fit into the system / Les humains dans l’écosystème

People (les humains) are part of the ecosystem too. The Coast Salish Peoples have always lived in connection with the land and the sea. They take only what they need and show le respect (respect) for all living things (les êtres vivants).
When people overfish, cut too many trees, or pollute the water, the balance (l’équilibre) is lost. We can help keep the Salish Sea healthy by protecting salmon habitats, reducing pollution (la pollution), and following traditional teachings about la durabilité — sustainability.

Explore and Compare / À explorer

Try drawing your own food web (une chaîne alimentaire) showing how plants and animals in the Salish Sea depend on each other.
You can also compare two habitats (deux habitats) — the forest and the sea. What do they have in common? How are they connected?

Page updated

Report abuse