Day Six: Classroom

​Today we went into the classroom and learned about different types of coral diseases and what can make coral sick. We completed a few fun activities to visualize what is happening to the coral reefs. We learned all about carbon dioxide’s effect on the ocean and it’s magnificent creatures.

The first activity that we completed was the quadratic analysis of bleached coral populations. We learned all about global warmings effect on the coral. Increased temperatures of the ocean make the zooxanthellae (algae) leave the coral. The zooxanthellae give the coral it’s stunning color. When it exits the coral, the coral then appears to be bleached. For the quadratic analysis we were given a picture of a coral reef and then a five by five grid to place over the picture. We then had to figure out which coral colony is bleached or in the process of bleaching.

We also learned that the increased carbon dioxide increases the acidity of ocean water. This is because the ocean absorbs 1/3 of the carbon dioxide realized by man made activities. To help us visualize this, we were given a cup of water with a straw in it. In the cup was a blue indicator mixed in with the water. When we would blow into the indicator it would turn from blue to a deep yellow. This is because humans exhale carbon dioxide. So as we were exhaling, we were increasing the acidity of the water.

We learned how to identify if coral is healthy, paling, or bleached. We did this by holding up a chart to different colors of coral and identifying how healthy it was.We also played a fun review game of Pictionary. We reviewed different species of fish and coral.

We learned tons of information during the classroom today! And are extremely excited for what tomorrow will bring!