I-Search+by+Kylie

by Kylie
 * Trinidad's Coral Reefs **

For summer vacation, I went to Trinidad to visit my mom's family. From there, we took the Catamaran to Tobago. While in Tobago, my parents took us to the shore and we went for a trip on the Glass Bottom Boat. Simple enough, the Glass Bottom Boat gets it's name because it is a boat with a glass bottom used for looking at the beautiful ocean floor. It is an amazing sight to see. Not only do you see the amazing animals in the ocean, but you also get a view of beautiful coral reefs. Coral reefs come in all different colors and sizes. Some of them are home to different types of fishes, and others are their meals. As you sail over them, an explosion of colors appear before you in the middle of the blue sea. Tobago is especially known for their beautiful waters and coral reefs. This specific reef I went to was called Buccoo Reef. It was named the third best reef in the world by a famous French oceanographer. Though Trinidad and Tobago may be smaller than other countries, it's one of the best places to visit.
 * Part I--What I already know about my topic **

Besides their beauty, coral reefs have many purposes. They play a big role in the environment and in the marine ecosystem. What I would like to know is, "How do coral reefs affect the environment?" Many of them are being destroyed. The main question I want answered is, "How can we restore Trinidad's environment back to it's breath-taking beauty?" Imagine if we didn't have any. What would change? In the sea, it is very important to fish and other wildlife. It serves as a home for some fishes and provides enough food for them. Without coral reefs, the ocean ecosystems would be altered. Though we might not realize it, coral reefs are very important.
 * Part II--What I Want to Find Out **

I love the amazing coral reefs. Especially the bright vibrant ones in Trinidad and Tobago. That is the topic I am researching. Though they are so beautiful, many people are selfish and it isn't enough for them to see such a sight. When I visited Tobago, home of the famous Buccoo Reef, I saw many people picking the corals and keeping it for themselves. They would go to the bottom of the ocean to crack off a piece of one of the corals. They make the ocean light up with colors. There are blue ones, pink ones, red ones, purple ones, all different kinds of colors from the rainbow. Not only are they used to bring joy to our hearts, but it is also a serious part of the underwater ecosystem. It is the shelter to some creatures. Others call it "Home Sweet Home."
 * Part III--The Search **

While researching, I found a few websites that talked about the life of coral reefs. It takes a while for them to grow big enough, and when they do, some people pick them. Then they start the process all over again. Researchers say that the growth rate varies from 0.8 milliliters a year to 80 milliliters a year depending on the region it is grown in and what type of coral it is. I also found out that most of the coral loss is done by humans. Coral bleaching happens when temperature or anything in the reefs' environment changes. Some people are responsible for dying coral reefs. When it gets older, it starts to lose its color so some people bleach it to make it brighter and obtain more color brightness in it. I also found out that there are many factors to coral reef destruction. The more people there are in a place and the more populated it is, the faster the rate of deterioration of the corals are. These reefs are part of nature, and I think we should let Mother Nature take its course in life. Looks are everything and when people bleach the corals, it degrades the corals' health and sometimes kills them if its too much for them.

To get more information about my topic, I interviewed my mom who grew up in Trinidad. Here is our interview:

Q1: Have you ever been to Tobago? A: Yes I have. As a kid, I grew up in Trinidad and visited Tobago numerous times. Q2: What do you think of coral reefs? A: They are beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, spectacular. Q3: Do you know anything about the destruction of coral reefs? A: Yes, a little bit. Q4: What do you know about it? A: When fishing, some people throw nets down to catch fishes and that sometimes might break the top of the corals. Others dive to the bottom and take some corals as souvenirs. Q5: How did you learn all this? A: I've learned a lot from experience since I've seen people do this. I also see information about it on the news and from the internet. Q6: What do you think the main cause is? A: I think fishermen play a big role in damaging the corals. Tourism is also a part of that. Some people pick them and sometimes step on them while walking through the waters. Q7: How do you think we can end the destruction of coral reefs? A: We could minimize the boats travelling above the coral reefs or have a barrier keeping the boats out. Some important coral reefs could become National areas protected by the government. Q8: Do you have any ideas for a game similiar to Monopoly about the coral reefs? A: You could have different types of corals in the spaces around the board and what endangers them or if they are dangerous. When you land on certain spaces, it would tell you if you could move forward or backwards. The card decks could be named Saltwater and Freshwater. Q9: What important issues are related to coral reefs? What is affected as a result of coral reef destruction? A: Fishes are affected since they live in it. Also, they are living plants and so it would also affect our environment. Q10:What do you think the purpose of coral reefs are? A: I think they are used for beauty and to help the marine ecosystem.
 * Topic - The Destruction of Coral Reefs**

After doing all the research, I learned a lot of important things about coral reefs. It is the home and protection of many marine wildlife. They are a very important part of the ecosystem in the ocean and seas. The main reason they are being killed are because of humans. We have caused the distinction of many animals and now we are damaging and killing out the coral reefs. I chose to do Trinidad and Tobago's coral reefs because it is a place I am familiar with and they have a very popular coral reef. Tobago is best known for its beautiful Buccoo Reef. I think I was drawn to coral reefs because they are absolutely beautiful. Trinidad is where my mom is from and it's really nice there. I wanted to learn more about my family's heritage. Doing my iSearch on Trinidad and Tobago's coral reefs, it involved two things that I enjoyed learning about.
 * Part IV--What I Learned **


 * Part V--Work Cited **
 * "Activities While In Tobago." //TobagoWI//. TobagoWI, n.d. Web. 19 May 2010. . ||


 * Chapple, Steve. "Coral Reefs at Risk." //Reader's Digest//. Reader's Digest Association, 2010. Web. 19 May 2010. []. ||


 * Hance, Jeremy. "Human activity is killing coral reefs in the Caribbean." //Mongabay//. Mongabay, January 8, 2008. Web. 19 May 2010. . ||


 * Hector, Carl. "Buccoo Reef." //Buccoo Reef//. Carl Hector Coastal Environmental Officer, n.d. Web. 19 May 2010. []. ||


 * "Ocean Pollution Causes Coral Reef Death & Effects on Ocean Life & Ocean Plants." //PRLog//. Lightword Publishing, June 29, 2009. Web. 19 May 2010. []. ||


 * Spencer, Donna. "The Coral Reef." //Oasis In the Sea//. Print. ||