A coral reef is actually a lot like a neighborhood. Underwater animals live side by side and help each other out. This neighborhood is called an eco-system. And everyone has a job to do to keep the neighborhood going.

Coral reefs are made of coral. Coral is kind of like an apartment building. Tiny animals called polyps make up the coral. Each polyp builds an “apartment” for himself, called an exoskeleton. As more polyps build their homes—one on top of another—the coral gets bigger and bigger. One piece of coral can take hundreds of years to build. Can you imagine how many years it takes to build a whole reef?

Coral reefs need a lot of sunlight, so you’ll find them where the water is warm and shallow. The biggest coral reef in the world is located off the coast of Australia. It’s called the Great Barrier Reef. The closest reef to America is found off the Florida Keys.

Of course, the only way to truly experience the coral reef is to get in the water. Some people put on a mask and fins and snorkel to see the reef, others put on a wetsuit and tank to get up close and personal. Be sure and visit our “Deep Sea Duds” game and help Scuba Sandy get dressed for her coral reef dive!

Coral reefs also are found in the Bahamas. In this issue of Going Places magazine, the REAL Scuba Sandy visited the coral reef off the Abacos Islands. Be sure to read “Hello, Harvey!” in the January/February issue.

Map by Linda Stewart

Fish of every color, shape and size are found on the reef. So are squid, octopus, jellyfish, eels, stingrays, dolphins and sharks—along with sea horses, starfish, sponges, plankton and shrimp. And that’s just to name a few!

Coral reef animals depend on each other for food and shelter. In general, the small fish are eaten by medium-sized fish, and the medium-sized fish are eaten by the big fish. See the page “What’s for Dinner?” to get an idea of who eats who and connect the dots to see who is at the top of the coral reef food chain. Then, read A Symbiotic Tale to see how two coral reef creatures help each other find food and shelter.

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For the “read-to-me” set:

The Coral Reef Tunnel Book: Take a Peek Under the Sea! by Joan Sommers

Over the Ocean: In a Coral Reef, by Marianne Berkes

Coral Reef: Coloring Book, by Ruth Soffer

Underwater Alphabet Book, by Jerry Pallotta 

Emergent Readers

Coral Reef Animals, by Francine Galko

Hello Fish: Visiting the Coral Reef, by Sylvia Earle

Coral Reef, by May Carpenter Reid

Coral Reef, by Lloyd G. Douglas 

Intermediate Readers

 A Coral Reef, by Jen Green

Coral Reef, by Donald M. Silver

Coral Reef Fishes: Indo-Pacific and Caribbean, by Ewald Lieske

Coral Reef Explorer, by Greg Pyres 

Adult Readers

 A Field Guide to Coral Reefs: Caribbean and Florida, by Eugene Kaplan

Coral Reef Conservation, by Isabelle Côté (ed.)

Reef: A Photographic Journey by Scubazoo, DK Publishing 

For more books about the coral reef and conservation efforts, visit Barnes & Noble.com. AAA members get five percent off the lowest current price when they purchase online!

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