Explore a Coral Reef
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Many underwater plants and animals live in a coral reef. They depend on the reef for food and protection. People benefit from the reefs, too. Dive in to learn more about coral reefs.
Curious Creatures
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Corals are animals. They look like rocks. They have a skeleton skeleton the bones that support a living thing (noun) The dinosaur skeleton was built out of fossilized bones. . It is on the outside. Corals have tentacles tentacle a long, bendable limb, like the arms of an octopus (noun) The octopus grabbed a clam with one of its tentacles. for gathering food. Groups of coral create a habitat for sea life.
A Lively Habitat
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Groups of coral form reefs. Animals can find food here. There are many places to hide.
Coast Guard
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Big storms create dangerous waves. Waves break on reefs before they reach the shore. This protects people.
Tourist Attraction
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Tourists can snorkel or scuba dive near reefs. This reef is in Indonesia. The world’s biggest reef is in Australia. It is the Great Barrier Reef.
Did You Know?
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Sometimes, a reef turns white. This is called bleaching. It means the coral is unhealthy. The main cause is climate change. It makes seawater too warm.