Peter Schriemer - Ocean Adventures

Ever wanted to be an explorer or an adventurer? I hope so, because God made this world for us to explore and to have adventures! He filled our planet with amazing creatures for us to discover and enjoy. Each animal and plant is designed in a special way to serve a special purpose in Gods natural world.

Plants and animals are made to live together in places we call habitats. A habitat is a space where plants and animals interact in a way that keep things in balance and makes it possible for life to exist. A coral reef, a shoreline, and a jungle are all different habitats.

Different animals have different needs, which is why there are so many different habitats in the world. No matter what type of habitat, all creatures need certain things to be just right in order for them to live in that habitat.

Habitats Provide Creatures with:

Oxygen (in the right amounts)

Suitable Temperatures

Food

Water

Shelter

Area to Raise Young

As an explorer, habitats are where youll have your adventures, find incredible plants, and encounter amazing creatures.

The Pacific Ocean is the biggest body of water in the world. It covers one-third of the earths surface! It is so big that all the continents could fit inside itwith room left over! Wow, were talking about one BIG ocean with MANY different habitats. If you were a creature living in the ocean, what would it be like?

First, youd need to be able to get freshwater. Some creatures are designed to get freshwater out of the food they eat. Others are able to remove the salt from the ocean water they drink.

Most living creatures need oxygen, because oxygen gives the bodys cells the energy they need to function. Creatures like fish get oxygen out of the water by using their gills. Animals like whales come up to the surface and breathe air like we do.

Ocean plants live near the surface because they need sunlight to grow. Most ocean animals live near the surface too, where they can eat plants or hunt for food.

Temperature is also a big deal for survival in the ocean. Creatures like sea turtles are cold-blooded. This means they get their body heat from the environment around them. Other creatures, like dolphins, are warm-blooded. They need to keep their bodies a consistent temperature all the time. To do that, they have an extra layer of fat on their bodies to keep them warm!

Ninety percent of all ocean life can be found in coastal ocean habitats. Well be exploring in the Pacific Ocean around the Hawaiian Islands! Are you ready to dive into this watery world? Lets go!

Coral reefs are filled with amazing creatures. Hawaii has one of the most unique coral reef systems on the planet! Coral reefs are called the rain forests of the ocean because they are home to 25% of all ocean creatureseven though they take up only about two percent of the ocean. So how do these rich habitats form?

Corals are actually colonies or groups of tiny creatures called polyps building little homes out of limestone. When there are a lot of them, you get unusual coral structures. The amazing colors come from algae growing on the coral.

Coral reefs need warm temperatures and sunlight. They grow in tropical coastal areas around the world. Healthy coral reefs can get big. In fact, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the biggest structure on earth built by living organisms. It can easily be seen from space!