1 Have you seen a reef? A reef is made with stone and coral. Many animals and plants live in it. A reef is like a little world.
2 A reef looks strong, but it is not. Coral is formed by tiny animals. They have soft bodies. Some make hard covers for their bodies. The cover is a kind of calcium [CAL-see-um]. It is what a hen's egg shell is made of.
3 The corals that make the covers for their bodies are hard corals. They do not move with the water.
4 The other kind is the soft coral. They do not make hard covers. They bend and sway in the water.
5 Corals do not have their own color. They live with algae [AL-gee]. The algae give them color.
6 Corals need to grow in shallow water. They also need clean water.
7 If the water were dirty, it would cover the coral. The coral animals could not breathe. They would die.
8 Other animals live at the reef, too. Did you know that the sponge is an animal?
9 Reef fish have many colors. They are often in bright, bold colors. They also come in spots and stripes. They also come in many sizes.
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