DEDICATION

This book was written by Jun Kwon, Cyrus Buhariwalla, and Kaitlyn Broussard. We dedicate this book to the Marine Biome because the Great Barrier Reef is an important ecosystem for marine organisms, humans, and the environment. The Great Barrier Reef needs to be protected because it provides habitats and shelter for hundreds of fish, coral, jellyfish, dolphins, sharks, rays, and countless other organisms. The reef provides environmental, and economic benefits as well, protecting coastlines from the damaging effects of tropical storms, assisting in carbon and nitrogen fixation, and aiding in nutrient recycling. Due to these services and tourism the reef provides, the Great Barrier Reef creates 69,000 jobs and contributes approximately $5.7 billion to the Australian economy.

However, the Great Barrier Reef is also  in danger due to harmful human activity. The water is being polluted with waste, fertilizer, pesticides and sediment due to agriculture and waste dumping. This is impacting the reef because the pollution is causing coral bleaching due to the clouding of the water which inhibits the algae from undergoing photosynthesis. If the algae cannot complete photosynthesis, they will die; then without the nutrients from the algae, the coral will die as well. Increased temperatures from global warming and overfishing are also causing coral bleaching because algae need stable temperatures to survive. Without the algae, the coral will die shortly after and turn white. While the Great Barrier Reef is threatened, it is not too late to save it. Stricter rules have been and can be enforced to decrease overfishing and pollution. In addition, educating people about the endangerment of this crucial marine biome can lead to a more conscientious effort to live an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

“Kids, it's time to get up and get ready!”

Ashley and Jackson, both 10 year old twins, stumble out of bed rubbing their eyes and grumble, “It’s so earlyyy.”

“Well, y’all still need to pack for the trip to the Great Barrier Reef after falling asleep watching TV,” says mother as she shakes her head in disapproval and leaves the room.

“What do we need to pack?” asks Ashley.

“You need to pack shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits and flip flops because it will be hot in Australia,” says Dad.

“But wait, why did we wait until winter to go to the reef?” asks Jackson.

“Because we live in Texas, we are located in the Northern Hemisphere. Australia, on the other hand, is located in the Southern Hemisphere. That’s why they will have summer while we have winter!”

Mom walks back into the room and asks Ashley and Jackson, “Are you kids all packed now?”

They nod their heads enthusiastically.

“Then let's go!”

The family members headed to DFW, checked in their luggage, and boarded their plane to Sydney.

As the plane neared the reef, the kids looked out the window and marveled at what they saw.

“Wow, the water seems like it’s never going to end!” says Jackson excitedly.

“What’s that in the water?” asks Ashley.

“What you see in the water is the Great Barrier Reef. It’s made up of coral and algae which work together to create the reef,” Dad explains.

“How could they be working together?” asks Ashley.

“Well, have the two of you learned about photosynthesis in school?” Dad asks.

The children nod their heads.

“Okay, the first thing to realize is that coral reefs are usually found in the euphotic zone, which is the region of the ocean where sunlight penetrates up to 70 meter. Sunlight is a key component in photosynthesis, so algae that live inside coral can create food through photosynthesis and share oxygen and food with the coral. In return, the algae, called Zooxanthellae, gets a safe home to live in.”

“Wow, I can't wait to see the reef up close,” the twins exclaim.

Once the plane landed, the family drove and checked into their hotel.

“Wow, our hotel is underwater!” the children shout.

“We wanted to give you kids a chance to see as many animals in the reef as possible” Mom explains.

“Look, a turtle!” says Ashley excitedly. “What is that turtle doing in the reef, Dad?”, asks Jackson.

“These turtles come to the reef when they are getting ready to breed”, Dad elaborates.

“I hope we get to see baby turtles”, Jackson declares.  

After the family settled into their hotel, they decided to go out to dinner.

“Hello and welcome to The Sandbar—have you had time to look over the menu?” asks the waiter.

“Yes, we have, but we were wondering if there was anything you would suggest?” Dad inquires.

“I would recommend the Barramundi. It is a popular fish eaten in Australia, and the fish here is very good due to our clear waters”

“Sounds tasty, we’ll all have the Barramundi!”

After the waiter walked away, Jackson leans over to his mother and whispers, “Why does the waiter speak english? Aren’t we in another country?”

“The majority of the population speaks English, just like we do back in the States,” Mom explains.

Look it’s nemo!” interrupts Ashley, who was looking out the glass window in the restaurant. “But what is that next to Nemo?”

“Nemo is a clownfish who lives sea anemones,” Dad explains. “Although these sea anemones are poisonous, it doesn’t hurt clown fishes. That’s why clownfish live with sea anemones, and in return, they clean and ward off other potential predators.”

“Woah, that’s so cool!”

“And like the algae and coral, clownfish and sea anemones have a symbiotic relationship and benefit from each other through a mutualistic relationship! Pretty neat, huh?”

“Yea!”

After dinner, the family went back to their hotel room and slept early in order to prepare for a long, fun day ahead of them.

The next morning, the kids were awaken with a surprise adventure.

Dad exclaims, “Are you kids ready for some scuba diving today?”

Both of the kids were overjoyed and asked, “Are we going to the Great Barrier Reef?”

After an astounding “yes” from their parents, everyone packs up and gets into the car.

When they finally arrived at the scuba dive shop, the family met their guide for the trip.

His name was Nick, and he had a strong Australian accent.

First he displayed a map of the reef to the family members in order  to show everyone where they were headed.

He then told them, “Since it’s the summer over here, we can wear plain ol’ bathing suits.

But if you guys came in the winter, the temperature of the water can become as low as 2 degrees celsius, and we would all need to wear one inch wetsuits and water shoes.”