This book is lovingly dedicated to the ocean, with its waving corals and colorful fish. It's for all the kids who will one day look after our seas, and the brave people who are already taking care of them. May you always help our oceans stay as amazing as they are now.

Our oceans are filled with amazing stories and colorful creatures, especially in the coral reefs. This book explores how coral reefs are crucial for our planet, because they protect coastlines, support fish populations, and provide homes for countless sea creatures. Let's learn why it's important to keep these underwater cities healthy and vibrant!

Preview audio:

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Coral reefs are like underwater cities near the warm parts of the oceans. Tiny sea creatures called polyps build them.

Coral reefs are important because they're home to lots of fish and plants. People and animals need coral reefs to live and find food. Additionally, they're nature's own sea walls. Lots of folks who live by the sea need them to stop floods, especially as sea level goes up.

The Papahānaumokuãkea Marine National Monument is a special place in the ocean, full of islands, sea mounds, and coral reefs near Hawaii. It's home to more than 7,000 kinds of sea creatures, with over 2,000 that you can't find anywhere else! This place helps Hawaii by supporting fishing, which is a big deal for the people there, and its linked to a $110 million industry.

The Great Barrier Reef is another huge, colorful underwater place in Australia with lots of fish and corals. It's very special because it's like a giant water park for sea creatures and helps people of Australia earn money from tourits who come to see it. It's also full of stories and history from the people who've lived there for a very long time.

These coral reefs are having a tough time because the ocean is getting warmer and more acidic, which is not good for them. The corals lose their color and get sick, which can hurt the fish that live there and the people who depend on reefs for food and jobs. It's important we take care of the air and water to help protect these amazing underwater cities.

Too much fishing can also mess up the balance of life here. Tiny bits of plastic called microplastic are also a big problem because they can make sea creatures sick and even lead to them dying. When too much leftover food or fertilizer gets into the water, it can make too many algae grow, which blocks the sun and hurts the sea life. We need to keep the ocean clean and not take too many fish to help save the reef.

Reading break: Coloring Page!

1. To keep this Earth cool, we need to make less smoke that warms the air. One way to do this is to increase usage of cars that run on electricity instead of gas, and get more of our power from places like the sun and the wind.

Let's dive into ways we can save the coral reefs!

2. We also need to say no to plastics that we use just once, such as water bottles and bags, because they can end up in the ocean and make sea animals sick