First Grade Questions

How does coral get its color?

Coral gets its color from the billions of colorful zooxanthellae algae that they host. The zooxanthellae provide the coral with energy and nutrients through photosynthesis. This means that coral needs sunlight and will only grow in shallow clear water.











How does the coral get there?

Purple Staghorn Coral

    The coral starts when a tiny polyp attached itself to a rock and then divided into thousands of other polyps. They attach to each other to create a single organism. The coral grows at a very slow rate.  Staghorn coral grows only three inches a year.

Is some of the coral soft in the water?

    Some types of coral are considered soft coral. The fans that you see in the photo are soft coral. Soft coral looks like underwater plants, bending and swaying with the ocean currents. I have not touched any of the coral. There are some varieties that sting. The Fire Coral has stinging tentacles. I want to stay away from it!

Mustard Hill Coral - Clubbed Finger Coral - Massive Starlet Coral

Is the seaweed there edible?

I don't know! I haven't tried any.



How tall can seaweed grow?

Fans, Finger Coral, Staghorn Coral

The seaweed here is small. It is not like the huge kelp beds that we see in California. I have seen more sea grasses. The sand is covered with the sea grass. The coral reefs produce tons of the white sand that allows the grass to grow. Mollusks like conchs and clams, crustaceans, and grazing fish survive off the sea grass.


What determines the color of the water when looking down from an airplane?

The depth of the water gives it color. The turquoise water is shallow. Rock Sound is completely turquoise. The blue gets darker as it gets deeper.

How does the water get its depth?

Ocean currents change the depth of the sea floor over time. The coral reefs also produce tons of sand to fill in the ocean floor.

What is a sponge and what does it look like? Is sponge a coral?

Sponges are the simplest organism. They are not coral, but they attach to rocks just like coral does. I don't think that I have seen any sponges yet. I will look for one today. I have been too busy counting fish.

How many fish have you seen and what is your favorite?

Hundreds and hundreds is the easiest answer. I estimated about 450 grunts on Reef Casey. There were plenty of other fish as well. I don't have a favorite fish. There are so many beautiful ones. It was really exciting to see the hawksbill sea turtle yesterday.