Me + You = We!

Better together Corals may look like colorful plants in the ocean, but they’re actually animals.  Many individual creatures live and grow while connected to each other, forming reefs, sometimes known as the “rainforests of the sea.” –nationalgeographic.org

You read it first in this week’s The Factory in Guide magazine.

It’s Thanksgiving time!!  Right now in school, you may be studying about New England and how the pilgrims came and established the colonies. But did you know there are different kinds of colonies?  Today, we will learn a little bit about coral and coral reef colonies.

Have you ever had a chance to go scuba diving or snorkeling in the ocean? If so, you have probably seen some coral reefs. There are all kinds of coral - different shapes and different colors.  A coral reef can look like a shelf made from rock with little dents or holes all in it. But coral is actually made up from a lot of different animals that live in colonies.

Coral reefs can be found all over the world! However, most coral reefs grow in shallow, clean ocean waters on either side of the Equator, because they need sunlight and warm temperatures all year to survive. And even though the coral reef is made up of  living creatures, it also provides a home for a lot of other creatures to live, or hide in, if needed.

Each coral animal (or polyp) is like a little bag. The opening on top is the mouth. Tentacles (little arms) around the mouth carry stinging nematocysts, which paralyze the small animals eaten by the coral polyps. Most corals get energy and nutrients from symbiosis with photosynthetic unicellular algae called zooxanthellae. 

The many types of coral include stony, soft, black, thorny, horny, and blue corals. As they grow, corals form different patterns and shapes. They may look like feathers, fingers, branches, or even a brain.

Corals have a skeleton that may be outside or inside the body. Stony corals have a hard, outside skeleton made of a mineral called calcium carbonate. As these corals die, new corals build up a colony on top of the dead corals’ skeletons.

Pollution and climate change have been very hard on these beautiful living entities. Some countries are making changes to help protect the coral so it will be around for many years to come.  We can help, too! By being more mindful of how much water we use, and remembering to throw our trash away properly, we can make a difference to the environment around us.  And just like the Native Americans helped the pilgrims survive when they first came to America, we can help the coral survive by being careful of the earth. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.