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The coral reefs of the world's oceans are home to a great diversity of fish and marine life. The coral reef has its own ecology with relationships between the various marine life. The reef itself is made up of colonies of coral. These animals take the lime out of the seawater and use it to build a hard, rocky stalk under or around the animal. The stalks and walls grow together and after the animals die; they slowly form thick layers of lime rock. Coral colonies can live for several decades to centuries.

412-1 Bleach Bottle Fish: You might not see this exact fish along the reef, but you will see the same bright colors in many of the fish of the coral reef. Crepe paper and a bleach bottle are what you need.

412-2 Creeping Crab: Crabs are remarkable creatures that hide from their predators in the crevices of the coral reef. Our crab takes a fun look at some of the crab's physical characteristics.

412-3 Fish Spiral Mobile: A spiral mobile is a unique technique to display examples of fish inhabitating the coral reef. There are so many different species of fish on the reef because of the complexity of the ecosystem providing so many ways for fish to feed and hunt.

412-4 Sea Anemone Bouquet:These unique creatures are often attached to rocks or coral. They look a lot like bunches of the pink and purple petals of the anemone wild flower. The petals are really arms or tentacles to capture food.

412-5 Sea Turtles: These creatures frequent the warm water of the coral reef. The sea turtle is often green with a large, streamlined shell, and a head and limbs that don't retract into its shell. Our turtle shell is actually a clay pot and a little cuter than most sea turtles you'd see in the wild.

412-6 Hands On Project: Kids helping other kids through their crafts