Coral Reef

Swish, swoosh, bubble, pop. Can you feel the warm water all around? The sun sends wiggly lines of light down to me. Bright yellow and blue fish swim by, tickling my sides as they go. Little seahorses curl their tails and float past. I am a big, beautiful city of colors under the sea, with lots of secret places to hide and play. I feel the gentle push and pull of the water all day long. I am a Coral Reef.

I wasn't always this big. I was made by millions of tiny, tiny animal builders. They are called coral polyps. They are so small, but they are very strong workers. They build little stone homes for themselves, one on top of the other, like you would stack colorful blocks. They build and build for a very, very long time. My first family members started growing a long time ago. Many of my most colorful parts started growing after a big chill, around 10,000 years ago, when the water became warm and sunny again.

Now, I am a safe and cozy home for everyone. I love having so many friends live with me. Little clownfish play hide-and-seek in my branches. Gentle sea turtles swim by to say hello on their big ocean journey. Tiny crabs scuttle across my arms, looking for yummy snacks. I keep them all safe from big waves and big fish. I am a beautiful ocean treasure, and I am here to remind all my friends on land to help take care of our amazing planet and the wonderful sea.