TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
About Your Adventure
Chapter 1: Traveling to Carrie Bow
Chapter 2: Reefs at Different Depths
Chapter 3: Diving Deep
Chapter 4: Ocean Cleanup
Chapter 5: Protecting Coral Reefs
World Map of Coral Reefs
Glossary
Other Paths to Explore
Read More
Internet Sites
Index
Copyright
Back Cover
Cover
Title Page
Table of Contents
Start of Content
Main Body
Backmatter
Glossary
Index
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ABOUT YOUR ADVENTURE
YOU are a researcher trying to save the tropical coral reefs from extinction. You and a team of scientists are racing to save them. Can you help make a difference before it’s too late?
Chapter One sets the scene. Then you choose which path to read. Follow the links at the bottom of each page as you read the stories. The decisions you make will change your outcome. After you finish one path, go back and read the others for new perspectives and more adventures. Use your device's back buttons or page navigation to jump back to your last choice.
CHAPTER 1
TRAVELING TO CARRIE BOW
After a long day’s travel from the United States, you sit in a small motorboat plowing through crystal-clear water. Ahead, you see a small area of sand. Several buildings sit on this tiny island, and palm trees sway in the warm breeze. It looks like paradise. But you’re not here for a vacation.
A few minutes later, you reach Carrie Bow Cay. The island is off the mainland of Belize. At Carrie Bow, scientists and other researchers are trying to save natural wonders that many people never see—coral reefs.
You’re a researcher who specializes in marine biology. You’ve spent years in your lab, studying coral reefs. And now, you can’t believe your luck. You have the chance to study these reefs up close, in their natural habitat. You hope that with your knowledge and skills, you’ll be able to help save the reefs that surround Carrie Bow and other islands around the world.
You know how important coral reefs are. They cover less than two percent of the ocean bottoms, yet they provide food and shelter to about 25 percent of the world’s marine species. Fishers catch and sell the fish living in the reefs. Coral reefs also protect coastal lands from the devastating impact of huge storms, like hurricanes.
And tourists pay to visit the colorful reefs. This provides jobs for people who live near the reefs.
But the world’s coral reefs are facing extinction. Rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change are killing them.
“It’s not just ocean temperatures that we worry about,” Dr. Samantha Johnson tells you. She is one of the scientists who spends several months each year at Carrie Bow Cay. “People dump pollution into the waters. Or they want to build on islands near the reefs, or they damage them while they fish. All of those things threaten the reefs.”
“What can I do to help?” you ask Dr. Johnson.
She explains that she has three different scientific projects for you to choose from. You will be going with several other researchers. The first is on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
The second is aboard a research ship called the Seahorse. It will be studying reefs in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of the United States.
The last option isn’t research. A team of biologists are going to Hawaii to head up a cleanup effort. Pollution there has damaged the coral reefs. The research team is hoping that cleaning up the reef will allow it to begin to heal and repair itself.
“None of them are easy,” she explains. “But all of them are important. Your work can help us better understand life in the reefs—and how we can save them.”
To see coral reefs up close in the Pacific Ocean, press here.
To explore deep-water reefs on the Seahorse, a research ship at sea, press here.
To clean up coastal reefs, press here.
CHAPTER 2
REEFS AT DIFFERENT DEPTHS
Dr. Johnson tells you that the work in the Pacific Ocean will take place in the waters around Palau. Palau is a small island nation about 550 miles east of the Philippines. It’s made up of more than 300 small islands.
Only one other researcher has chosen to go to Palau. His name is Sandeep. On the flight to Palau, Sandeep talks about the coral reefs there.
“I was in Palau before, studying coral bleaching,” he tells you. “There are about 700 kinds of corals there. They’re amazing.”
Bleaching is a huge problem for coral reefs. Rising water temperatures or other conditions destroy the colorful algae living inside the reef.
Rising temperatures force the reef to push out the algae. The reef turns white, like a skeleton, and slowly starves. Some reefs can survive the bleaching. But most don’t. You know that more than half of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
has died because of massive coral bleaching.
After several flights and many hours in the air, you and Sandeep finally reach Palau. At the airport, a woman standing by a small van waves to you. She walks over.
“Welcome to Palau,” the woman says. “My name is Carol. I help run the Coral Reef Research Center here.”
Carol takes you and Sandeep to a small building along the shore. Inside, you meet several scientists who are doing research in Palau. Two of them are eager to tell you about their projects.
One of them is Dr. Stanley Katz, a professor of marine sciences.
“My team wants to learn why some coral reefs survive better in warm water than others,” Dr. Katz tells you. “These reefs live in shallow water, so we don’t need scuba gear to explore them. We just use snorkels.”
The other scientist is Dr. Sheila Armstrong. She tells you, “My work focuses on reefs that are up to 500 feet deep. This is the ocean’s mesophotic layer. Only limited sunlight can reach that far down into the ocean.”
“Both Dr. Armstrong and Dr. Katz could use your help,” Carol tells you. “Which kind of reef would you like to explore?”
To join Dr. Katz’s team and snorkel in the shallow reefs, press here.
To be on Dr. Armstrong’s team and explore the mesophotic reefs, press here.
Dr. Katz tells you to put away your suitcase and get down to the dock.
“You’re just in time for our first dive of the day,” he says.
You get onto the small boat that will take you out to the reef. Then you put on your snorkeling gear. Dr. Katz explains that you’ll help collect samples of corals of different species from different areas of the reef.
“Then we’ll study them in the lab,” he says. “Some species of coral reefs are dying because of the heat. If we can learn which coral species survive increased water temperatures, we can focus our rescue efforts on them. We could transport some of those to start new colonies.”
The boat stops, and you dive into the water. You’ve never seen water so clear. It’s easy to spot the reef below. Tiny fish are all around it.
Thriving coral reefs support countless types of marine life. You carefully remove small pieces of different kinds of coral. You take your samples back to the boat, then jump back in the water to find more.
Soon Dr. Katz signals that it’s time to go back to the research center. When you arrive, Carol is waiting for you.
“How was it?” she asks.
“It was incredible!” you say.
“Good,” Carol says. “Now I have another project for you, if you’re up for it. Follow me.”
Carol leads you down to the dock. You see a man standing next to what looks like a small torpedo. “This is Dr. Sidney Kulis,” Carol says. “He’s working with one of our AUVs.”
AUV stands for autonomous underwater vehicle. Unlike a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), an AUV is not connected to a ship. It follows a path that scientists program into it. AUVs are useful for studying coral reefs and other parts of the ocean.
“This is the Remus 100,” Dr. Kulis explains. “It collects data, such as the water temperature or how much oxygen is in the water. It can find objects underwater using sonar. And we can put cameras on it to see what it encounters.”
Dr. Kulis goes on. “With Remus, we’ve discovered new coral reefs here in Palau. I’m going to look for more reefs today.”
You and Dr. Kulis lower the AUV into the water. He sets some controls, and then the AUV begins to slowly cruise away. As it gets farther from shore, you watch it go under the surface.
In the van, Carol sets up the video screen that will let you see what Remus finds. The farther down Remus goes, the darker the screen gets. But there is still enough light to see fish swimming by. You see coral reefs too.
“Anything new yet?” you ask Dr. Kulis.
He shakes his head no. “But pretty soon.”
Carol has been outside the van on the phone. She pokes her head inside.
“I have some bad news,” Carol says. “It looks like there’s a thunderstorm coming. And it could be a big one.”
Lighting strikes are rare on the ocean, but when they happen, they can kill fish and damage boats “Hmm, that is bad news,” Dr. Kulis says. “We’ll need to cut the mission short.”
“I don’t know if Remus will make it back before the storm hits,” Carol says. “Could we leave it underwater until the storm is over?”
“Maybe we should go out in a boat to get it back,” Dr. Kulis says. He turns to you. “Would you go out with me to get Remus? Or do you think it’s too dangerous?”
To go retrieve the AUV with Dr. Kulis, press here.
To suggest letting it ride out the storm, press here.
You follow Dr. Kulis to a small motorboat. As you both climb in, you can see dark storm clouds getting nearer. The wind begins to whip harder. On the water, bigger and bigger waves begin to rock the boat.
“I’ve already sent a signal to Remus,” Dr. Kulis says. “It’s beginning to come back toward the surface. We should be able to get to it in a few minutes.”
You notice that the seas are getting rougher. All you can think about is getting back to shore. Soon, you see the thin, yellow body of the AUV.
“There it is!” you shout.
Dr. Kulis turns the boat toward it. Rain pelts your face, and you hear a rumble of thunder.
“Do you think we’ll make it back before the storm gets worse?” you ask.
“I’m sure we can get Remus in time,” Dr. Kulis says. “But it could be a rough ride back to shore.”
He pulls the boat closer to the AUV. You each grab a handle on top of the machine and haul it up onto the boat.
“Safe and sound,” he says with a smile. “Now, let’s get out of here.”
Dr. Kulis turns the boat around and heads for the island. You see lightning not far away, and the thunder is getting louder. The rain and the spray of the waves soaks you to the bone. Another flash of lightning makes you jump. It does not feel safe being on the water during this storm.
Finally, as the rain pours down even harder, you see the shore just ahead.
“We made it,” Dr. Kulis says. “Were you getting worried?”
You smile a bit. “Just a little.”
Back on land, you help Dr. Kulis get the AUV into the van. You hope the storm ends soon so you can get back to work looking for coral reefs.
THE END
To read another adventure, press here.
To learn more about Coral Reefs, press here.
“Maybe we should stay in the van,” you say.
Dr. Kulis nods in agreement. “We can see if Remus keeps sending a video signal,” he says. “And as soon as the storm is over, we’ll go get it.”
Carol joins you and Dr. Kulis in the van. Through the windshield, you see the skies darken. Then the rain comes pouring down. Bolts of lightning fill the sky. On the video screen, you see Remus is bouncing around from the powerful waves. Then the screen goes dark.
“That can’t be good,” you say.
Dr. Kulis frowns. “I don’t know. It could just be a problem with the video. We’ll see.”
The storm gets stronger. You feel the wind begin to rock the van. Carol keeps adjusting the controls to see if she can get the video back.
Finally, the wind starts to fade a bit. The rain gets lighter. Almost as quickly as the storm blew in, it’s passed by.
“Carol, try to bring Remus up the surface,” Dr. Kulis says. Then he says to you, “Let’s go to where it should be.”
AUVs are also called Autosubs. The first one was launched by the Southampton Oceanography Centre in 1996. You and Dr. Kulis climb into a small motorboat. The sea is still choppy, but not as rough as it was just minutes before. After a while, Carol comes out of the van and
waves for you to come back in.
“I think we lost it,” Carol says. “There isn’t any signal at all from Remus.”
It will take months to get another AUV out into the water. You know how disappointed Dr. Kulis must be knowing that his important research will be delayed. Maybe you should have gotten the AUV out of the water before the storm hit, but would it have been worth the risk?
THE END
To read another adventure, press here.
To learn more about Coral Reefs, press here.
“Have you ever gone scuba diving before?” Dr. Armstrong asks you.
“Yes, many times,” you say.
Scuba diving is one way to explore the mesophotic corals. They’re very different from the ones close to the water’s surface. Mesophotic corals are usually soft, and they don’t form big colonies like the corals in shallow waters.
“We’ve been exploring the mesophotic reefs for more than 20 years,” Dr. Armstrong says. “We want to save all reefs. And these might be especially useful. We think the chemicals in some of them could be used to make medicine.”
Dr. Armstrong leads you to a spot on the dock where other researchers are putting on scuba gear.
“We use special equipment to dive down,” she explains. “Divers have much larger air tanks than usual. And they use the rebreather method.”
The rebreather method allows the diver to breathe the same air twice, after the carbon dioxide is removed from the exhale. You’ve made dives using that system for years.
“We also have a small submersible,” Dr. Armstrong says.
She waves for you to follow her. She stops by a small vehicle a little more than 8 feet long. On top is a plastic dome, and in front are two mechanical arms.
“It’s called the Deepworker 2000,” she says. “A single person can use it to go down almost 2,000 feet and collect samples. With the sub, we can stay underwater for up to 80 hours.”
“Wow, that’s incredible!” you say.
“Would you like to scuba dive or use the submersible?” Dr. Armstrong asks.
To explore a reef with the Deepworker, press here.
Can You Protect the Coral Reefs? Page 1