Name _______________________________________ Period _________ Date ________________________
Science of Film
A.
Topics and Themes concerning science in Finding Nemo include Marine Biomes, Symbiotic
Relationships including Predation, and Survival of the Fittest.
B.
One theme prevalent throughout the movie is marine biomes . The main biome seen is the coral reef—in this case, the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef. The reef is located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia. It stretches over 2000 kilometers in length and is so large that it can be seen from space. The Great Barrier Reef is home to many organisms and hosts one of the world’s largest displays of diversity. Light can penetrate to the depths of the reef’s floor (photic zone), thus permitting photosynthesis and high activity from fish.
C.
Another theme is symbiotic relationships . In the movie, predation, commensalism, and mutualism are all evident. An example of predation in Finding Nemo, includes the part where the barracuda eats Coral.
Commensalism occurs with the clownfish and their anemone home. The clownfish benefit by getting protection from others since they are the only ones who have immunity to anemone stings, the anemone receives nothing but a good friend, and the prime role in a decent movie.
D.
Darwinism also makes an appearance in the film as Nemo’s crippled fin becomes a central theme. This is likely to make him less fit for survival in the reef as his father thinks, though Nemo is dedicated to proving him wrong.
E.
Food chains also play a central role as something is constantly being eaten, or trying to be consumed.
This is displayed early as the barracuda makes a meal of Coral and her eggs. Later it is shown when
Bruce the Great White shark attempts to eat Marlin and Dori, members of a lower level of the food chain. Marlin and Dori are also caught in the crossfire of the marine food web as they are swept into a whale’s mouth. The whale normally feeds on phytoplankton and other microscopic organisms, but as the water was being swept into the big bad whale’s mouth to filter out the plankton, Marlin and Dori were carried along inside.
F.
Science is an important aspect in the film. The principles of science allow for much of the plot.
Whether we are observing one organism, the interactions of groups or organisms, or the geographic limitations on these organisms, science is the backbone for the foundations of the film. The movie
Finding Nemo focuses on a clownfish that is looking for his son in the vast ocean. His interactions with the environment and all the other organisms he comes in contact with generally all relate back to scientific interactions in the ocean biome. In order for this film to be realistic and accurate, the makers must have done extensive research to create the accurate setting for this movie.
Nemo Questions- you may use your notes and book!
*Background Questions*
1.
The oceans are broken up into horizontal and vertical zones. List and describe the different oceanic zones.

2.
Describe the coral reef zone of the ocean.
3.
Describe what a food chain is. How is this different than a food web?
4.
Describe Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest.
*Short Answer Questions*
1.
What kind of symbiotic relationship is shown between Dori & Marlin?
2.
What type of fish are Nemo & Marlin?
3.
What type of relationship is present between the clown fish and the anemone?
4.
What do you think caused Nemo to have a deformed fin?
5.
What habitat do Nemo and Marlin live in?
6.
What behavior are the turtles showing when they travel to a new area?
7.
How do you think the turtles know to do this?
8.
What type of animal is Jaque (lives in the fish tank of the dentist office)?
9.
What oceanic level are Nemo and Dori in when they go down off the cliff drop-off?
10.
When does the octopus squirt out ink? Why do you think this animal has this specific adaptation?

11.
List some animals that live in the ocean that you saw in the movie.
12.
Do clownfish really live in sea anemones?
13.
How do fish communicate?
14.
In the movie, Dory is always forgetting what just happened. Do fish have memories?
15.
Can sharks really "smell" blood?
16.
Marlin the clownfish gathers quite a varied group of friends -- other fish, sharks, sea turtles and pelicans as he searches for his son. Do you think these creatures all get along with each other in real life?
Explain.
17.
Nemo has one front fin that's smaller than the other. Would this be a problem for a real clownfish?
18.
If a fish from the surface swam to an ocean depth where there is no light, could it survive?
FINDING NEMO – An Ocean Biome:
Fill in the blanks as we watch some scenes from the movie.
The world’s aquatic regions cover 75% of the earth and are home to many species of animals. There are two main categories of aquatic biomes; freshwater and marine. Coral reefs are made up of a substance that comes from the skeletons of animals. It clusters together in brightly colored polyps. The setting for the movie Finding
Nemo is the Great Barrier Reef and the characters in the movie are based on the real aquatic life found there.
______________ and _____________, are clownfish which are also called anemone fish because they live among the tentacles of ______ ______________. _______________ are protected by the tentacles of the sea anemones and are immune to their poison. Clownfish fear the open water. This is a symbiotic relationship called ___________________, because both organisms mutually benefit. Other sea creatures in this drama include three sharks. ___________ is a Great White Shark, which is also known as an Apex predator because it is at the ______ of the food chain and has no natural ______________. Chum is a Mako shark, the fastest moving shark. Mako sharks can move 60 miles per hour in the open water. Anchor is a __________________ shark. The flat head of this shark helps it to sense the electrical fields that are generated by some of its prey.

Other marine life is represented by Crush, Dory and Gill. Crush is a Green ______ __________. These animals are famous for migrating thousands of miles to find nesting grounds. Dory, the Regal Blue Tang, represents the many tropical fish found in the _________ _________. Gill is a Moorish Idol, a fish dating back to prehistoric times which is rarely seen by humans in its natural Habitat.
ESSAY
Evaluate “Finding Nemo” as a contribution to science. This essay should include evidence that this movie supports the ideas about the Marine biome that we discussed in class or that you know from previous experience. Complete sentences must be used, and it must be legible!