What Does One Reef Matter?

Janey loved the beach. She loved playing in the waves and digging in the sand. She loved swimming in the water. She loved looking at all the brightly colored fish. She loved feeding the seagulls and other birds. She also loved watching them fly. She loved everything about the beach.
Everything, that is, except the reef. The coral reef she didn't like. She didn't like it at all.
When she got to the beach, Janey ran out across the sand. She quickly helped her mother spread out the blanket. They set up the umbrella so her mother could have some shade. Then Janey headed for the water.
In her hands, Janey had a soda. She drank it while she headed out into the water. Then she decided to swim. But it was too far to go back to the beach to throw her soda away. So Janey decided to just dump the rest of it into the ocean. Then she could throw the can back.
“Hey, maybe the coral reef hates soda,” she thought to herself. “Maybe it will kill the coral to have soda dumped on it.”
Janey went over to the coral. When no one was looking, she dumped her soda into the water. At least she thought no one was looking. But Janey's mother saw her do it.
“Janey, come here, please,” her mother yelled.
Janey climbed out of the water. She went to where her mother was sitting and she stood by the blanket.
“I saw you dump soda in the water,” her mother said.
“I just wanted to kill the reef,” Janey said quietly. She hung her head.
“Why would you want to kill the reef?” her mother asked.
“Because it cuts my feet when I go swimming,” Janey answered. “Besides,” she said. “What would one reef matter?

Find out the role one reef plays in the ecosystem and the life of the ocean.
Ages 7 and up

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