Coral Reef Research
Storyboard Text
- What are coral reefs?
- At night a polyp's tentacles stretch out to catch food
- Polyps have a sac-like body and mouth surrounded by tiny tentacles
- Dive into the ocean with me to look at corals
- These animals are called polyps
- hard or stony corals live with nutritious plants called algae, which provide food for the corals
- The second main kind of coral is soft coral. Soft coral bend with the tides
- There are 2 main kinds of coral. One kind is hard and stony, and it has a hard skeleton
- When they die, they leave millions of skeletons behind
- These diseases can kill a big coral reef in week d bacteria cause white and back band disease.
- If the bacteria are stopped, the coral can recover. If they are not, the coral will die
- Humans cause most coral reef damage. Activities such as fishing with poisons and explosives destroy reefs
- Coral reef fragile. Diseases and humans can hurt reefs
- Construction creates soil erosion and pollutes freshwater runoff. Lots of other human activities hurt reefs too, such as when ships break off parts of reef of gas and oil from ships leak and poison reef life
- What else hurts coral reefs?
- Sometimes divers exploring a coral reef aren't careful enough and drop a boat anchor directly on a reef. They might even stand in the coral or break off pieces to take home as souvenirs Aunts
- Coral reefs are not only beautiful, but also an important natural resource too
- How are reefs important?
- Medicine comes from the reefs. It can be made from reef plants and animals.
- Many countries have laws that help protect the reefs.
- Almost 25% of the world's reefs have been destroyed, and nearly 60% are damaged
- Reefs help protect coasts from storms and floods
- How can we help?
- The coral reefs can stay lovely for many years to come.
- They can stay a natural wonder
- Never throw anything in the water,
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