Read the passage. What does ecosystem mean as it is used in this
sentence from "The Ride of His Life"?
The Ride of His Life
Sea turtles help keep the ocean healthy, and thus
their well-being affects the entire ecosystem.
When Jesse Senko was 12 years old, he had an
experience that literally changed his life. Senko
was snorkeling while on vacation in the Cayman
Islands with his family when a large sea turtle
swam near him. Senko naturally did what any 12-
year-old boy would do and decided to grab the
turtle and go for a ride. That turtle ride, in some
ways, has never ended. People find their passions
in many different ways. Senko found his passion
while riding on the back of a turtle when he was
just 12 years old.
biological community of interacting
organisms and their physical
environment
set of things working together as parts
of an interconnecting network
branch of biology that deals with the
O relationship of organisms to their
surroundings
study of living organisms divided into
many specialized fields
Today, Senko is a conservation scientist at Arizona
State University. He focuses his research and life's
work on marine resource sustainability. Can you
guess what that includes? If you guessed sea
turtles, you would be correct. In college, Senko
majored in fisheries and wildlife science, and he
also received a Master of Science degree in wildlife
ecology. Much of the focus of his work is on saving
endangered sea turtles.