Climate Change and Coral Reefs

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Reading Worksheet — Elementary (C) | tahricteaches.com

Coral reefs are beautiful places in the ocean. A reef is made of coral, and coral looks like colorful rock, but it is alive! Coral reefs grow in warm, shallow seas near the equator. People often call them the “rainforests of the sea.”

Reefs are very important for ocean life. A coral reef is a hábitat for thousands of fish and other sea animals. Small fish hide in the coral to stay safe from danger. Big fish come to eat and find food. Without reefs, many ocean animals would not have a home.

Climate change is a big problem for coral reefs. When people burn coal and oil, the air around the Earth gets warmer. This makes the ocean temperatura rise too. Coral is very sensitive to heat. Even a small change in temperature can hurt it badly.

When the water gets too warm, coral starts to bleach. The coral loses its bright color and turns white. Bleached coral is weak, and it can die if the water stays warm. If too much coral dies, the fish lose their home.

We can all help proteger coral reefs for the future. We can use less plastic and stop pollution in the ocean. We can also save energy at home every day. Many countries are working together to fight climate change. Every small action can help save coral reefs and sea life.

A. Vocabulario

reef ____
coral ____
habitat ____
temperature ____
bleach ____
pollution ____
protect ____
ocean ____
fragile ____
climate ____

a. easily broken or damaged
b. to keep something safe from harm
c. long line of rock or coral near the ocean’s surface
d. natural home of an animal or plant
e. measurement of how hot or cold something is
f. hard, colorful substance made by tiny sea animals
g. usual weather conditions in a place over a long time
h. dirty or harmful substances in air, water, or land
i. to lose color and turn white
j. very large area of salt water

Climate Change and Coral Reefs worksheet

B. Verdadero o falso

____ Coral reefs are sometimes called the “rainforests of the sea.”
____ Coral is not a living thing.
____ Many fish live in coral reefs.
____ Climate change does not affect ocean temperature.
____ Warmer water can cause coral to bleach.
____ Bleached coral turns bright blue.
____ Coral reefs grow best in cold water.
____ People can help protect reefs by stopping pollution.
____ Fish never use coral reefs as a home.
____ Scientists are worried about rising ocean temperatures.

C. Complete los espacios en blanco

Banco de palabras: reef, habitat, temperature, bleach, protect, pollution, ocean, fragile

A coral ___ is home to many sea animals.
The coral reef is a ___ for thousands of fish.
When the water gets too hot, the ocean ___ rises.
Hot water can make coral ___ and turn white.
We must ___ coral reefs from pollution and warm water.

D. Preguntas de comprensión

What is a coral reef?
Why do coral reefs matter for fish?
What happens to coral when the ocean gets too warm?

E. Preguntas para discusión

What are some things you could do to help protect the ocean?
Why do you think it is important to save coral reefs for the future?

Answer Key (click to reveal)

A. Vocabulario: 1-c, 2-f, 3-d, 4-e, 5-i, 6-h, 7-b, 8-j, 9-a, 10-g

B. Verdadero/Falso: 1-T, 2-F, 3-T, 4-F, 5-T, 6-F, 7-F, 8-T, 9-F, 10-T

C. Rellena los espacios en blanco: 1-reef, 2-habitat, 3-temperature, 4-bleach, 5-protect

D. Comprensión:

A coral reef is a colorful, living structure made of coral that grows in warm, shallow seas.
Coral reefs give fish a safe habitat where they can hide, find food, and live.
The coral loses its color and turns white, which is called bleaching, and it can die if the water stays too warm.

🇹🇼 Also in Chinese: This topic is available on 18KEnglish.com — bilingual worksheets for Chinese-speaking students.