The coral reef is full of beauty
Photo by Thespis377 via Flickr.com
Alex and I have been traveling along the edge of the coral reef, heading toward the open ocean. There are so many beautiful colors in the coral reef. There are also so many really cool shapes. The coral reef is made up of all these different types of coral. Alex taught me that even though coral looks like a rock, it’s actually alive. Coral is made up of thousands of little creatures called anemone (Say Ah-Nem-Moe-Nee).
The sea fan is one type of coral that is shaped like a fan. Its branches stretch out just like a tree. We’ve seen sea fans in different colors, such as yellow, red and blue. I thought that the sea fan was really neat until Alex showed me brain coral. Brain coral looks like a brain! It’s a little creepy, but it’s still really pretty. It’s round in shape and has lines going through it like a maze.
Coral is very fragile, and it should never be touched. Another type of coral is called fire coral. It’s called that because if you touch it, it burns. I thought it was odd that something that looks like a rock could burn you. But Alex told me that the fire coral is related to the jellyfish. Those tiny little anemones (remember how to say that?) have stingers like a jellyfish, and they sting you when you touch them.
We also saw very tall coral called pillar coral. This grows straight up and can reach up to eight feel tall! Imagine a piece of coral as tall at your bedroom. Wow!
As we make our way to the open ocean, Alex will be teaching me more about the coral reef and all its wonders.
Eartha
Tags: brain coral, coral, fire coral, loggerhead, reef, sea fan, sea turtle
Posted by Dan under From Eartha | Permalink