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Jaylyn Broadway 504 598 111

EPSS 15 Intro to Oceanography
TA Junko Isa
15 November 2016

When the Sea Calls

By: Jaylyn Broadway
This is bad, Alyse thought as she examined the coral reefs in the middle of city square,
very, very bad.
Over the past few years Alyse and every other mermaid in the city of Nerida watched worriedly
as the citys coral reefs began to become sick, dull in color, bleach, and even die. They knew this
was due to the humans above, their harmful actions and pollution were causing the ocean to
warm with their increased burning of fossil fuels and release of CO2 in to the atmosphere.
Mermaid scholars had traveled above and learned that the humans had started something called
Global Warming, and it was what was causing the increased sea and land storms, marine
sickness, and death of many.
Alyse had always been very involved in the oceans health and working to help clean the messes
humans continued to leave in their place. She had become such when two years earlier her fellow
mermaid and best friend Oona passed away from sickness due to a human oil spill that had killed
many like her in its wake.
Alyse raced to her cove, searching for her mother.
Mama, where are you Alyse called out.
Im here dearest. Whats gotten you so worked up? Are you alright? her mother, Adira, replied.
Mother, another coral has fallen off the reef, it has died. It is the third this month! You said it
wouldnt happen again and it has. Mermaids will going to continue to become ill and die if this
continues! Alyse yelled hysterically to her mother.
Adria grabbed hold of her youngest daughters shoulders and shook her firmly.
Calm my child! Everything will be fine, all we can do is continue to pray to the Goddess and
hope the humans will change their ways so the corals may live and become healthly once again.
She hugged Alyse tightly and stroked her tail with hers in a comforting gesture she had done
with all her daughters since their birth.
Later that night Alyse sat in her clam shell, contemplating her mother words. I have to do
something. I have to stop this before someone else suffers because of those reckless, selfish
humans, Alyse thought to herself. I know what Ill do! Ill go to land and stop the humans
myself! Dont worry Oona I will prevent another death like yours, Goddess watch over me and
guide me to be successful in this quest, I will save our people.
Alyse quickly swam to her closet chest and packed herself a bag for her travels. She grabbed her
shellphone, crab comb, book of human history, and shark mace just in case she ran into trouble.

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Before she left she stopped by the Goddess palace left a shell and asked her holiness for
strength, courage, and bravery.
Alyses first thought as she stepped on the beachs sand was, Its extremely warm here for this
time of year. This is odd for sure. She walked further down the beach, she knew she needed to get
to the city Santa Barbara to where her mothers mother Delia inhabited.
As she arrived to Delias home, Alyse knew it was hers because there was a clam shell in the
window the universal sign to all mermaids that a fellow mermaid lived in that home. Alyse
knocked on the door and waited for an answer,
Who is it? Delia asked from behind the front door.
Its Alyse! Remember we spoke earlier on the shellphone. Alyse replied.
Oh, I remember! Hello dear, Ive missed you child! How are you sisters and mothers? Whens
the last time you ate? Have you prayed to the Goddess recently? Delia quickly questioned
Alyse, she was extremely excited to see the youngest of her daughters daughters.
Slow down grandmother, dont overwhelm yourself.
Oh hush you. Your mother will be absolutely furious when she finds out what our doing.
After getting settled into her grandmothers home and notifying her of where she was, and
promising to never do such again and return soon, Alyse began to plan her action of attack.
Tomorrow after a good nights sleep she would be ready to educate the humans in the errors of
their ways. Im ready to begin my quest.
From reading human history and speaking with her grandmother Alyse knew she would need to
speak to an important human that was something called a government official. So she decided
to speak to one of the human leaders, the current President of the United States Brad Jackson,
she learned from her grandmother him and his family resided in Santa Barbara during this time
of year. She used her telekinetic power to break her way into his home so she could speak to him.
Walking into the home Alyse sought out the president.
Oh Goddess, why do humans call this a living room no one is dying? She saw the president
laying on a seat reading something, when he caught sight of her he jumped in surprise.
Are you Brad Jackson? I am the mermaid Alyse I must speak to you now
Mermaid? The hell, how did you get in here? Who sent you?
Alyse looked into his eyes deeply and sung her hypnotizing siren song. Once he was under her
spell fully she spoke.
I am sent by my people, the Goddess guides me. She has brought me here to warn you and all
humans. Your actions are killing my people and our holy coral reefs. Your oil drilling and spilling
into our oceans make us sick and have killed my beloved friend Oona.
The corals are releasing their algae, bleaching because of your cars and fossil fuels, you are
making holes in the ozone layer and allowing in more solar radiation from the sun causing
everything to warm. Our scholars have discovered you humans have caused this planet to warm
and our oceans to heat causing land and sea to have more storms and disasters. My sisters from
the north tell me their glaciers and ice caps are melting rapidly due to more solar radiation hitting
the North Pole, their seas are warming as well.

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Coral reefs supply hundreds of marine life with food, nutrients, and shelter, their live hood is of
upmost importance and must be saved. If they continue to become sick and die so will the
ecosystems they provide, yours and mine. Neither of us can survive without them.
Brad Jackson you will change your ways and force all humans to do the same as well, or the
Goddess will rain her fury on your soul.
Listen to all that I have said, learn, and save our people. Alyse then left, never to return to Brad
Jackson or land.
Hours later President Jackson held a press conference to announce his new environmental
conservation laws and actions, focused on stopping global warming and beginning the process of
reversing its effects.
Alyse was successful! She accomplished that which she set out to do, she was later branded a
warrior by her people, medaled for her bravery and courage in making the humans change their
ways.
The End.
Thurman, Harold V., and Alan P. Trujillo. Essentials of Oceanography. 9th ed. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.
"What Is Coral Bleaching?" US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2016.