I felt grateful that I got to see these incredible creatures.
Coral lives in the ocean. It can live on sand, but usually it lives on top of rocks.
Coral survives through mutualism, which is when different living things help each other survive. Small groups of colorful algae (living things that look like plants but are not actually plants or animals) live inside the coral. The algae help the coral get most of its food through photosynthesis. The algae photosynthesize, which means they use sunlight to make food. If the water gets too hot or cold, the algae leave the coral, which turns white. When that happens, the coral often cannot get enough food, and it dies. So, in order to survive, the coral needs algae, sunlight, and water that is not too hot.
Coral is peaceful toward most animals, but it does not like other coral! All corals compete for space on the reef, so if a different type of coral is getting too close, a coral might unleash chemicals to attack it!
Most coral is safe, but one type of coral can sting humans. This coral is called fire coral. I have been stung by fire coral a few times in my life. It usually hurts for a few hours, but then the pain goes away. It's like being stung by a little jellyfish or a bee!
We are very worried about coral reefs. Coral is very fragile, meaning it's easy to break it. Sometimes, when people swim or go fishing, they accidentally break the coral.
Pollution and climate change harm, or injure, coral reefs.
