Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 229 i National Geographic Kids (UK)

FRINGING REEF The most common type of coral reef, fringing reefs usually grow directly from the shore of an island or continent. A shallow pool of water called a lagoon often forms between the beach and the fringing reef. BARRIER REEF Barrier reefs are also found close to the coast, but they grow parallel to the land, with a deeper lagoon separating them from shore. These reefs get their name because they act as a barrier between the coast and the open ocean. ATOLL Atolls are reefs in the open ocean with a lagoon in the middle. They form after fringing reefs grow around volcanic islands that eventually sink into the ocean. Whoa!…

This awesome coral reef is found in the Philippines! SPELLING SPLASH! Which panels contain the letters to spell 'TUBBATAHA REEF'? 1 TUBBATAHA ERER □ 2 UATATUBHA EREF □ 3 BATATUBHB EFRE □ 4 ATTUBBAHA RFEE □ 5 TUAHBBATA REFE □ 6 ATHTUAHBA EFER THE CORAL CODE CORAL CONUNDRUM Use this tricky code to reveal a coral reef fact. HOME SWEET HOME Unscramble the six types of sea creature jumbled up here – they all call coral reefs their home! 1 LBSOTRE 2 ESA TUTLRE 3 CMLA 4 SAEREHOS 5 SAE RSTA REEF SCENE Can you number these jumbled-up picture pieces, putting them in the correct order? WHICH WORDS? Tick the words which CAN be made from the letters in GREAT BARRIER REEF 1 FEET □ 2 AFTER □ 3 FLARE □ 4 BERET □ 5 GIRAFFE □ 6 AGREE □ 7…

Discover more epic animals that are new to science in the next issue of NG KiDS! New fluffy bug! Meet one of the world’s most recently discovered bugs! Named as a new species in March 2024, the furry creature was spotted by entomologist* James Tweed while he was camping in Queensland, Australia. At first, he mistook it for bird poo – but a closer look revealed it was a longhorn beetle covered with long, shaggy, white hairs. Excited, James hurried to CSIRO’s Australian National Insect Collection, where the 1cm-long bug was proven to be a new species. Hooray! The next challenge is to figure out why it’s so hairy. James’ guess? That the fluffy mohawk makes the beetle look like it’s been infected by a fungus, putting o? any hungry…

Climate car Check out the huge ‘hailstones’ that have hammered this car in Milan, Italy! It’s actually a sculpture by eco-campaigners highlighting the extreme weather that’s being caused by climate change. The region was hit by huge, freak hailstones in July last year – thankfully NOT as big as these pretend ones. Phew! Fluffy friends These incredible creatures are all made out of wool! Japanese artist Terumi Ohta uses a technique called needle-felting to create the realistic animals, repeatedly poking the wool with sharp needles until the fibres lock together. She then uses clay for the nose, paws and claws, and glass for the eyes. Wow! Funny faces Artist Lee Wagstaff paints geometric patterns on canvas using oil paint. But if you squint your eyes or take a few steps…

1 HUNGRY SUN CORAL Most coral species rely on algae living inside their tissues to help them make food. But these pretty sun corals get all the nutrients they need by catching zooplankton (teeny-tiny animals) with their tentacles. 2 FEASTING FISH For fish like these anthias, coral reefs provide shelter from predators, a safe place for their young, and a buffet of food. The seaweed these fish eat would otherwise smother the coral. Coral reefs are nicknamed ‘rainforests of the sea’! 3 CORAL EATERS Many reef creatures – like sunburst butterflyfish, sea stars, sea urchins and crustaceans -feast on coral polyps. Called corallivores, some of these predators might help coral reefs by pooping out healthy coral bacteria over new areas. 4 FEATHERY FRIENDS Feather stars look like plants, but these animals…

MUSCLES Octopuses don’t have bones but are 90% muscle. Humans are only about 40% muscle. 40% 90% ARMS An octopus sends messages from its brain to other parts of the body through cells called neurons. Most of these neurons are in an octopus’ arms. Each of its eight arms can taste, feel and move on its own. A few species of octopuses can detach an arm to distract predators. (Don’t worry – it grows back!) SKIN Octopus skin is covered with chromatophores – groups of special cells filled with different colours. These cells can stretch out and turn the creature’s skin the same colour as its surroundings, making the octopus almost invisible. INK When threatened, octopuses eject ink that can mess with a predator’s sight, taste and smell. This distraction…

1 Roughly 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by one huge body of saltwater – the ocean. This is divided into five regions: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic Oceans. The largest, the Pacific, covers about a third of the planet! 2 Throughout history, people have given specific names to the bits of ocean near land – resulting in over 50 seas! The water is connected by currents which transport nutrients and heat around the globe, keeping our planet healthy. 3 Amazingly, over 80% of the ocean has never been studied, explored or even seen by humans. More of the planet Mars has been mapped than our ocean floor and scientists estimate that millions of sea creatures may still be undiscovered. Wow! Sadly, over 12 million tonnes of…

Barnacle ball! This volleyball was discovered on a beach near Weymouth, Dorset, its underside covered in a colony of pelagic goose barnacles! The small crustaceans spend their lives attached to the bottoms of boats, driftwood or rubbish floating about in the sea – like this lost volleyball! It's thought it floated to the UK all the way from the Gulf of Mexico in North America, ending up in British waters following a storm in the Atlantic Ocean. "I do wonder about the journey this ball's been on," says photographer Ryan Stalker, who put it back into the sea to take the pic. "From initially being lost, then spending time in tropical waters where the barnacles are native, to perhaps years in the open ocean before arriving in Dorset." Ryan's amazing…

To us, a coral reef might seem like a calm and quiet place. But the creatures that live there are constantly working -building, cleaning, protecting and gardening the coral reef they call home. In these bustling, colourful habitats, reef residents work together to help their community thrive. “Each role is important for keeping the coral reef ecosystem healthy,” says marine biologist Kiho Kim. Meet the animals in this underwater metropolis that get the job done… CORAL COVER Clownfish are covered in a layer of mucus (slime) that protects them from sea anemones’ toxic sting. Sea anemones have a sticky ‘foot,’ called a pedal disc, that they use to attach themselves to coral reefs and rocks. THE ANIMALS: Clownfish and sea anemones THE JOB: Security guards A clownfish hovers inside the…

"As a kid exploring the beaches of Sydney, Australia, I loved plunging my hands into rockpools along the shore. But, one morning, I felt something sticky – and it wasn’t sand. “I quickly yanked my hand out of the water. Then a single eye peered up, staring right at me. It was an octopus! It stretched out one of its eight wriggling, reddish arms and touched my finger so I could feel its little suckers. “Now that I’m a marine biologist, I know the octopus must’ve been tingling all over with strange new senses -octopuses touch, taste and smell with their suckers. It’s like having a fingertip, a tongue and a nostril all in one place. (I also now know that only trained adults should touch wild animals.) “This wasn’t…

Around the world, coral reefs are in danger – pollution, warmer waters due to climate change, and other threats can cause coral to die. Sadly, an international report found that up to 90% of coral reefs are at risk. But the good news is that many people are working to save them. “Coral reefs could be the first ecosystem we lose – but that also means it could be the first one we save,” says marine biologist Steve Simpson, who’s looking on the bright side. “If we can save coral reefs, we can save anything!” Check out a few ways conservationists are protecting these important habitats… Underwater Nurseries Some coral polyps – the animals that create coral reefs – are harmed by heatwaves and pollution, and others die after they’re…