CORAL BLEACHING
| Students profile/age of the student: | 6-10 years old |
| Climate change topic | Aquatic ecosystems |
| Connected subject in the curriculum | Biology, chemistry, geography |
| Skills and competencies to be developed | content knowledge, observation skills |
| Terminology, keywords | Coral bleaching, water temperature, pollution |
| Teaching techniques and tools: | storytelling, presentation |
| Materials needed: | IT device: smartphone, tablets, PC |
| Materials offered | Additional links: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/coral-bleaching |
| The time needed for the activity | 10-15 minutes |
Description
Coral bleaching? What’s that?!
A reef is a big group of rocks on the ocean floor, but did you know that a coral reef is actually alive and covered with very small animals called corals? These animals glue their tiny skeletons to rocks, so they end up staying in the same place their entire lives!
Coral reefs are very sensitive to light and temperature. If the water they live in gets too hot, they might not survive. They also don’t like it when the ocean has too much pollution. Sometimes, storms can even upset coral depending on how often they happen and how severe they are. If coral reefs are under too much stress, like in these conditions, they can eject the algae living on them and turn completely white. This is known as coral bleaching. This does not necessarily mean the coral is dead – corals can survive bleaching! They do become more vulnerable to death, however, especially if the stress continues for a long period of time.
Connect to the website
https://climatekids.nasa.gov/coral-bleaching/
How to play:
– Click the + or – buttons to adjust the water temperature and pollution levels.
– Click on the green “Start Storm” button to create a storm that will go by.
– See what happens to the coral reef depending on the various conditions you choose!