Across
- 6. Sorts and transfers food from the gills to the digestive tract
- 8. The reefs help reduce erosion by blocking waves that can wash away sand and soil
- 10. Holds the two halves of the oysters shell together
- 12. They’re vital to their ecosystem
- 15. Pumps the oysters blood
- 16. Live in shallow waters around the world
- 17. Animals soft bodies are protected inside closed shells
- 18. Digests algae caught in the gills
- 20. Hard outer covering made of the mineral calcium carbonate that protects the oysters
- 22. Floating underwater
- 23. Surges Occur when rising water is pushed onto land, causing flooding
Down
- 1. Lost popularity
- 2. Removes dirty stuff from the water
- 3. pump water through their bodies, filtering out algae and bacteria to eat (see Inside an Oyster, below)
- 4. Skin-like covering that protects the oysters organs
- 5. To Measure growth of the mollusks
- 7. Washes away sand and oil
- 9. The loss of oysters
- 11. Filter oxygen, algae and particles from the water
- 13. Lifting up
- 14. A community of organisms interacting with their nonliving environment
- 19. Muscle Opens and closes the shell
- 21. Attach to the shells and grow into adults