Coral Bleaching

1. A polyp is a small section of a coral that looks like an upside down jellyfish.  Polyps are the building blocks of coral.  When enough polyps group together to form a colony, it is then called coral.
2. Coral are sensitive to changes in the ocean, such as increases in the temperature of the water.
3. Coral bleaching happens when the temperature of the water becomes elevated for too long, and the algae living in the coral leave, so the coral loses its color and food, rendering it colorless.
4. Scientists believe that coral bleaching is caused mainly by pollution, which is our fault completely because in the modern world, we pollute and throw away too much.
5. People can save energy, avoid driving a car when possible, and recycling and reusing more to help prevent coral bleaching and climate change in general.

1. Fish: 1500; Hard coral: 360; Sea birds: 22; Shore birds: 32
2. Climate change is warming our oceans.
3. When flooding occurs, fish move to waters offshore, so sea birds can't get to them as easily, so they have less food.
4. People can use "green" products and also open windows instead of air conditioning, and try not to use products whose containers aren't recyclable or that can harm the environment.