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.

Not all endangered animals are cute and furry. Some have six legs and an exoskeleton!

Insects are another kind of animal that can be endangered. There are 200 million insects on Earth for every single human, and there are millions of species of insects alive. But as we take over their habitats and use more and more chemicals in the environment, some of the insects are dying off. The Mitchell’s satyr butterfly, for example, is one of the many insects on the list of endangered species in the U.S.

Why should you care about insects? Insects are a very important part of our ecosystem. They have a lot of jobs:

1. Insects help to spread pollen between plants, such as fruits and vegetables, so that we have the crops we need to eat

2. Insects help to break down decaying plant and animal matter

3. Insects serve as food for larger animals

4. Some insects eat “pesky” insects before they bother us (praying mantises eat mosquitoes and other annoying insects)

5. Insects help control weeds in some areas

6. Insects help us make many products that we use today, such as silk, medicine, and food (like honey!)

7. Insects teach us a lot about biology and our world

Plus, if changes we make in our environment are causing insects to become extinct, then those changes are probably also affecting other animals, as well. Without insects, most of the rest of the life on our planet would gradually disappear.

Insects aren’t just bugs! You might not want a beetle in your bedroom, but having insects in our environment keeps nature in balance.

References used for this article: Insecta Inspecta World;Michigan Department of Natural Resources;Encyclopedia Smithsonian;O. Orkin Insect Zoo

Photographs used in this article are the works of the federal government and are in the public domain.

We all recognize those fluffy white animals playing in the snow: They’re polar bears! Polar bears (ursus maritimus, or “sea bear”) live in the Arctic, which is the far northern part of the Earth. Even though the temperatures there are freezing and the environment is harsh, polar bears live very comfortably in the Arctic. But now, polar bears are in danger, and in 100 years, they may be entirely gone.

Global warming is the main reason polar bears are disappearing. 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. The warmer temperatures are melting the polar bear habitat. Usually, polar bears can hunt for food on the sea ice and store body fat to keep them alive in the summer. They eat very little after the ice melts. Because of global warming, the ice is melting earlier in the year and freezing later in the fall, which means the polar bears have less time to eat and more time without food. If the Earth gets too warm and all of the Arctic ice melts, the polar bears will have nowhere to live and hunt.

Polar bears are at the top of the food chain, and they are the largest land carnivores (meat eaters) in the world. They eat mostly seals, which is important because polar bears help keep the seal population from getting too large. Polar bears have no natural enemies except man, and now, the changes in their environment. There are between 20,000 and 25,000 polar bears left in the wild, and by the year 2050, scientists say that two thirds of those could be gone. They are listed as “threatened” on the U.S. list of endangered species, and they could become extinct if their sea ice habitat keeps melting. The polar bear is the first animal to become threatened because of global warming.

How can you help save the polar bear?

1. Write a letter or email to your U.S. Congressperson, or to the editor of your local newspaper, to share your views. Let our representatives know how important it is to save the polar bear and reduce global warming, and let people know that kids care! 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.

2. Do your part to reduce global warming! We burn fossil fuels for energy, so do your part to use less energy. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Take shorter showers, since heating up the water uses energy. Wait until the washing machine is full before you wash clothes. Turn off the TV when you’re not watching it. Plant a tree, since trees help to remove greenhouse gases from the air. Walk someplace instead of asking for a ride in a car. Use fans and light clothing to stay cool in the house instead of turning the air conditioning up.

3. Most of all, spread the word! If we can save more energy and reduce global warming, we can help save the polar bear habitat.

References for this article: The Pew Center on Global Climate Change;Science Daily;The World Wildlife Fund;Polar Bears International;Explore North

All photos are works of the Federal Government and are in the public domain.