Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Reef Teach

Wednesday May 9, 2012, Reef Teach. After our long day at Kuranda, we
had a learning session about the Great Barrier Reef to prepare us for
our day of snorkeling the following day. Our instructor informed us
how to safely snorkel in the reef as well as get the most out of our
snorkeling experience. We were introduced to many of the different
types of corals and marine life. Some common corals include boulder,
branching, and plate coral which are all commonly found in the patch
reefs. We also learned that there are two main types of coral, hard
and soft. We learned that some of the hard coral types are extremely
slow growing and grows approximately 1 cm a year. In addition, we were
informed on how to take precautions on the hazardous and deadly marine
life within the reef such as the box jellyfish which can kill a person
with one sting. However, it was interesting to learn that the getting
cut on the hard coral accounts for the majority of the injuries that
occur in the reef. We were also given pointers and information on many
different types of fish and easy ways to distinguish them. After the
Reef Teach session, we felt both confident and excited for our
snorkeling adventure.
-Paige, Jordan, & Taylor Kent

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