The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef Level F/G by Travis Schaeffer and Kathy Staugler Illustrated by Travis Schaeffer 1997-2012 n2y, Inc. Unique Learning System Leveled Book, The Great Barrier Reef, Level F/G

1 Is that a rock in the ocean? Is that a plant in the ocean? Is that a fl ower in the ocean? Is that a tree branch in the ocean? No, it s coral in the ocean! Coral is a sea animal that lives on a reef in the ocean. Many kinds of fi sh swim in the coral reef every day.

2 Before we read about the coral reef, let s see what it looks like. Visit this website to see a reef: http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=k1snez1s9gs. The fi sh are swimming around the coral reef. Look at the many colors and shapes of the coral.

Coral may look like a rock, a plant, 3 a fl ower or a branch. Coral may be red, green, yellow, orange, white or purple. The coral sticks onto rocks in the ocean and can live there for a very long time. The coral reef looks pretty in the ocean. But the reef is also important to the ocean.

4 The Great Barrier Reef is the biggest reef in the world. The Reef is found along the coast of Australia. It started to grow long ago after the last ice age. The Great Barrier Reef is about 8,000 years old!

5 The Great Barrier Reef is made of thousands of small coral. The ocean around Australia has warm water. Coral needs warm water. The ocean around Australia is not deep. The coral can get sunlight when the water is not deep. The Reef is a good place for coral to live.

6 Coral sticks together and builds on top of each other. The coral makes long ridges called reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is made up of many smaller reefs. It is the home to octopuses, starfi sh, turtles, dolphins and many kinds of fi sh.

7 The sea animals and fi sh need the Reef to stay healthy. The Reef makes the gases in the water healthy for sea animals and fi sh to live. The coral is food for some animals. The Reef also stops some big waves and storms from hitting the land. The Reef is important to the ocean.

Many people visit the Great Barrier 8 Reef. People sail their boats across the Reef. They drop anchors on the Reef and break the coral. The coral in the Reef is weak. Many people dive into the water and collect coral. Too much fi shing is not good for the Reef. We must be careful!

9 Pollution is a problem for the Great Barrier Reef. People put trash and oil in the water around the Reef. The trash and oil are pollution in the water. This pollution makes the sea animals sick. Pollution is not good for the coral in the Reef.

10 Climate is a problem for the Great Barrier Reef. The air is getting hotter. Hotter air makes the water hotter. Coral cannot live if the water is too hot. The fi sh and sea animals cannot live if the water is too hot. Climate change is not good for the Reef.

11 People that dive in the Reef are seeing changes. The coral has less color. Coral is starting to disappear. Less fi sh are living in the Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is in danger. People can help to keep the Reef safe. People can help to keep the color in the coral.

12 FL.OZ. 9 12 6 3 yes The Great Barrier Reef no live important biggest ocean / sea coral animal Reef swim warm deep fish color shape rock stick healthy sick Australia water sunlight food sail hot less people boat pollution trash GING 12 FL.OZ. GING disappear safe oil climate 1997-2012 n2y, Inc. Unique Learning System Leveled Book, The Great Barrier Reef, Level F/G

Glossary coral - a sea animal that lives in a reef in the ocean reef - a ridge of jagged rock, coral or sand pollution - harmful substances in the environment climate - weather conditions in an area 1997-2012 n2y, Inc. Unique Learning System Leveled Book, The Great Barrier Reef, Level F/G

Resources http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1snez1s9gs http://reefencounter.com.au/cairns-and-reef/the-great-barrier-reef/ http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/coralreef.html http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/barrier_reef.htm http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral1.htm http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/saving_the_natural_world/oceans_and_marine/priority_ ocean_places/great_barrier_reef/

Index for Photographs The images found in this lesson fall under a Creative Commons license. Please note the citation listed for each individual image below. For information on use or redistribution of any of these images, please visit: http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/ Title - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/coral_outcrop_flynn_reef.jpg Page 1 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/folded_coral_flynn_reef.jpg Page 3 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/sanc0534_-_flickr_-_noaa_photo_ Library.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/file:caesio_teres_and_caesio_caerulaurea.jpg Page 4 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/red_sea_coral_reef.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/coral_outcrop_flynn_reef.jpg Page 5 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/reef2185_-_flickr_-_noaa_photo_ Library.jpg Page 6 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/reef4380_-_flickr_-_noaa_photo_ Library.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/file:green_turtle_swimming_over_coral_reefs_in_kona.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/pikiwiki_israel_15217_dolphin.jpg Page 7 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/great_barrier_reef.jpg Page 8 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/boats_in_the_corals_of_red_sea.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/reef_encounter_great_barrier_reef.jpg Page 9 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/spilled_oil_from_deepwater_horizon_2010-04-22_1.jpg Page 10 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/priacanthus_hamrur_2.jpg Page 11 - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/reef2173_-_flickr_-_noaa_photo_ Library.jpg 1997-2012 n2y, Inc. Unique Learning System Leveled Book, The Great Barrier Reef, Level F/G