Did you know that more than two thirds of our planet’s surface is covered with water? Our oceans are homes to some of the most interesting and diverse environments on Earth. These environments include coral reefs. Coral reefs are a very important part of our oceans, but they need our help to avoid being destroyed in the future.

Why should anyone care about a bunch of rocks, you might ask? Coral reefs aren’t just rocks. They are amazing ecosystems, some of the oldest ones on earth. Coral itself is not even a rock! It’s a marine animal in the same family as jellyfish. Hard coral can spread and grow into rocklike shapes that make great homes for fish, shrimp, anemones, microscopic creatures, and lots of other inhabitants. In fact, 25% of the world’s marine fish live in coral reefs.

Coral reefs grow in shallow, mostly warm parts of the ocean, and besides being a home to many animals, they are also vital to the Earth. About 500 million people rely on coral reefs for their food and jobs. Coral reefs are where we get some of the ingredients for important medicines, including medicine that treats cancer. Also, coral reefs keep our shorelines from slowly falling (eroding) into the ocean. Without coral reefs, parts of Florida would be underwater! 

So you know now how important coral reefs are to our planet and our oceans. They’re also very beautiful to look at! But in recent years, mankind has been causing damage to the coral reefs. Construction along our beaches creates runoff that chokes the coral reefs just under the surface. Also, coral mining hurts the reefs when people take the coral from the reefs to use in making cement or bricks. Reefs are also threatened by people who catch fish by using explosives or poisons to kill the fish under the water. The explosions and poison destroy the reefs below. Pollution and trash that are dumped into the ocean cause lots of damage to reefs, of course. Even ordinary people can hurt coral reefs by carelessly stepping on them, pulling on them or breaking them when swimming or scuba diving.

Another danger for coral reefs is global warming. Global warming is caused when we burn fossil fuels like oil and coal, and the greenhouse gases go into the air and cause the Earth’s temperature to go up. As the oceans get warmer, even one or two degrees can cause the coral reefs to bleach white and die. You can probably guess how that creates a big impact on many kinds of fish, who have no food or shelter if the coral reefs die. It also hurts the people who make their living from the coral reefs. If the ocean temperatures keep rising and humans keep damaging the reefs, 70% of the world’s coral reefs will be gone in less than 50 years. As important as the reefs are, that would be terrible for people, animals and the world’s ecosystems. 

You can help save the reefs! Here’s what you can do:

1. Use less energy. Turning off the lights when you leave a room or walking somewhere instead of getting a ride in a car could reduce the greenhouse gases that are making the Earth warmer.

2. Conserve water. Using less water means creating less wastewater that pollutes the oceans.

3. Don’t litter, especially on the beach. Get rid of your trash properly so that it doesn’t end up in the ocean.

4. Plant a tree. Trees help keep damaging materials from running off into the ocean, and they also help to remove greenhouse gases from the air.

5. Be careful when you swim or snorkel. Don’t touch coral reefs that you see, since you could damage them even with a light touch.

6. Contact your representatives in Congress and tell them to support laws that will protect and clean up the oceans. To write to your Representative in the House of Representatives, click here. To find out who represents you in the U.S. Senate, click here.

7. Tell other people to support the coral reefs! Write a letter to the editor of your local paper, tell your friends and family how they can help, and make sure people know how vital the coral reefs are and what we can do to preserve them. Every little bit could make a difference!

Coral reefs are the rainforests of the ocean, but they will be gone for good unless we do our part to save them. Get started today!

References used in this article: National Geographic; The Nature Conservancy

All photos are works of the Federal Government or are otherwise designated as in the public domain.

On August 28, 2005, a huge storm called Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. The storm was one of the deadliest and most damaging hurricanes in our nation’s history. More than 1,800 people died, and thousands more lost their homes. Hurricane Katrina caused billions of dollars in damage, and many people had nowhere to go and nothing to eat. Even many pets were homeless after the storm!

Even though the storm was so devastating, people from all over the country and the world got together to help those who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers brought donations of food, water, medicine and other items to help the people who had lost everything. It was an amazing show of support from people who had never even met the victims.

Today, almost three years later, there is still a lot of rebuilding to do. Many parts of New Orleans and other areas are still damaged, and many people are still struggling to get back to normal.

What can you do to help?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created some guidelines for helping those who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. They say that donations of money are the most helpful, since money will help pay for people to have the food and shelter they need. You could donate some of your allowance, or you could have a fundraiser (such as a bake sale or car wash) to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims. You can send your donations to the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, The Humane Society, America’s Second Harvest and many other national charities. Ask your parents for help in selecting a charity if you have trouble choosing one.

If you want to do something different, check with local branches of relief organizations in your area and see whether they will take donations of canned goods, personal items, baby items, and other things that people need. If one of your local agencies will take donations and send them to the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina, you can have a canned food drive, a baby item drive or some other event to collect supplies to send to the victims of the hurricane.

You can also help to remind others about Hurricane Katrina! The hurricane happened almost three years ago, and many people have forgotten that there is still a lot of work to do to fix the damage that was caused. You could talk to your friends and family, write a letter to the editor of your newspaper, or ask your local church or charity to continue to send relief to the affected areas. Don’t let people forget how important it is to help those who need it!

Hurricane Katrina was a tragedy that hurt a lot of people, but with your help, the people who suffered can rebuild their lives. Do some good by making a difference in the life of a person (or animal) who was affected by Hurricane Katrina. You might be surprised at what you are able to do for someone in need!

References for this article: Time for Kids; Scholastic News Online; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Photographs used in this article are the works of the Federal Government and are in the public domain.