Coral Reef

Activity Book
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 1

Coral reefs 

are some of the oldest 

ecosystems on the planet. 

Coral reefs can 

be found in all tropical areas of 

the world. Corals can also be 

found in deep cold oceans. 

Most corals 

grow very, very slowly... it can 

take hundreds to thousands of 

years for a reef to form.

Coral Reefs... 

...for health, for wealth, for life

Did you know...

Coral reefs can be large or 

small. The Great Barrier 

Reef in Australia is over 

1,200 miles long.
2 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

Color Me!

There are thousands of species of coral, some named 

for their colors, others named for their shapes. In this 

picture are a brain coral, a staghorn coral, and a seafan. 

Can you guess which one is which?
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Sea Stars have a strange way of eating. When they find 

something tasty, they can push their stomachs outside 

of their body and digest their food right there! Once 

they’re finished, they pull their stomach back inside... 

until the next meal.

Connect the dots
4 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

Color Me!

Coral animals (polyps) are often protected by hard 

skeletons that form many different shapes. Large areas 

of coral are called coral reefs, and these occur in warm 

shallow seas.
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 5

Zooxanthellae

Coral reef

Anemone

Zooplankton

Polyp

Photosynthesis

Animal

Stony

Nematocyst

Elkhorn

Table

Spawning

Diverse

Bleaching

Temperature

Brain

Soft coral

Sea fan

Atoll

Barrier

Word Search

Can you find these coral words?

Words are found down and across:

S A E Z O O P L A N K T O N R

T O C O R A L R E E F E O R O

O K P O L Y P R D E A T S A A

N O L X O T L C G A M L N R O

Y S P A W N I N G N S L T T M

S M T N E M A T O C Y S T N N

P H O T O S Y N T H E S I S E

A A T H O R S E L K H O R N B

W T A E N E E I S S A F N A A

N O B L E A C H I N G T L B R

I L L L N T E N E Z R C G R R

N L E A N E M O N E S O P A I

G E T E M P E R A T U R E I E

D I V E R S E A N I M A L N R

D I V E R S E A F A N L R A L
6 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

Several species of fish spend part or all of their lives in 

association with sea anemones. The clownfish does not 

stray far from its anemone. This lets the fish avoid being 

eaten by other fish by hiding in the anemone’s stinging 

tentacles. Clownfish have a special mucus coating that 

protects them from the anemone’s stinging cells.

Color Me!
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 7

Can you help the scuba diver find the sea fan?

Maze

When diving 

or snorkeling take only 

pictures, leave only bubbles.

Do not touch marine life.
8 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

Many reef fish are very colorful, like this clown 

triggerfish. Spots and stripes break up the body shape 

and make it hard for their enemies to find them. This 

is called disruptive coloration. Other reef fishes have 

“false eye spots” that help them confuse predators.

Color Me!
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 9

Match the animals!

Draw a line from half an animal on the left to the other 

half on the right. See what Sea Horses, Sharks, Tangs, 

and Eagle Rays look like.
10 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

The Spiny lobster found in the Caribbean is different 

from the Maine Lobster that most people eat in 

restaurants. The Spiny lobster does not have claws, but 

uses sharp spines for protection. 

Color Me!
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 11

Which two are the same?

Match the Sea horses

1 2 3

4 5 6
12 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

Color Me!

Parrotfish are named for their bright colors and strong 

beak-like jaws, used to bite off chunks of coral. They 

like to eat the plants (algae) that grow on corals. 

Parrotfish have a special grinding plate in their throat 

which they use to grind up the coral’s hard skeleton. 

When they are finished, all that is left is fine sand.
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 13

Boxfish are covered with a bad-tasting slime, which 

protects them from being eaten.

Connect the dots
14 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

Color Me!

A reef is like a busy city. More creatures live on coral 

reefs than in any other habitat in the ocean. Each 

animal and plant on or around the reef has a job to 

keep the ecosystem healthy. How many different 

animals can you count on this reef?

Coral reefs are 

in danger of disease and 

possible disappearance due 

in part to human activities.
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 15

Word Search #2

Food

Diversity

Fringing

Barrier

Atoll

Global warming

Moray eel

Reef shark

Crabs

Corals

Yellow tang

Tropical

Angelfish

Deep coral

Sea urchin

Worms

Wrasse

Sponge

Barracuda

Grouper

Drum

Jewelry

Can you find these coral reef words?

Words are found down and across.

C L Y H L R B F N L P M F W I

R E E F S H A R K P N P O O B

A H L D H G R G H D W G O R D

B I L H M O R A Y E E L D M P

S P O N G E A N G E L F I S H

N R W R R R C A R P S L V U R

I R T F O W U A E C E L E D F

N O A Y T A D T L O A H R S A

L Y N T R E A O D R U M S A F

Y W G L O B A L W A R M I N G

G R O U P E R L E L C A T Y E

B A R R I E R Y R S H S Y M N

Y S W E C F R I N G I N G A A

A S W R A M W A O I N Y E Y B

J E W E L R Y A F L R I M O A
16 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

Secret Code

Even if you live far from 

the ocean, your actions 

impact coral reefs 

around the world. Find 

out how you can make a 

difference by decoding 

the secret message 

below.

A =

C = 

D = 

E = 

H = 

L = 

O = 

R = 

S = 

T = 

U = 

Y = 

, 

, , 
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 17

Maze

Can you help the clownfish find his anemone?
18 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

Color Me!

Nurse sharks, unlike most pelagic (open ocean) 

sharks, do not continuously move to stay alive. They 

are commonly found sitting on the ocean floor in and 

around coral reefs. They are active at night, and use the 

long barbels next to their mouths to sense and touch 

potential prey. The remora is a fish commonly found 

swimming alongside or attached to large fish or sharks, 

eating scraps of food missed by their host.
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 19

Can you find the ten animals in this picture?

Hidden animals
20 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

Mad Lib

On ________, I went to the Aquarium in __________ with _________ and last night I had the 

strangest dream. I dreamt I was a ___________ in the ___________. My friend ___________ 

was a _____________ (color) ___________! We ran into __________, the starfish who asked if 

we wanted to take a ride in a ________ submarine to see a __________. We _________ to the 

sub and in no time we were at a part of the ocean we had never seen...a coral reef! It looked 

like a __________ city, but underwater with _________ _________ _________. We saw a 

_________ ___________ _________, sea turtles, and a really ________ shark __________. I 

couldn’t believe my eyes! I was going to take a piece of __________ coral back home to prove 

I’d been there, but __________ said “Stop ________! It is very important that when you visit 

the ocean you take only pictures and leave only bubbles. You can harm the reef by touching it 

or leaving trash. When you get home, tell all your friends how nice it is here and that we can 

help protect the ocean together.” Suddenly, my _________ sounded and I _________, but I 

remembered ________ ’s words and couldn’t wait to start helping protect coral reefs and the 

ocean.

1. 

Day of the Week

2. 

Town

3. 

First name

4. 

Animal

5. 

 Ocean name

6. 

Friends first name

7. 

Color

8. 

Ocean animal

9. 

Celebrity’s name

10. 

 Color

11. 

Object

12. 

Action

13. 

Place

14. 

Size

15. 

Color

16. 

Ocean animals (plural)

17. 

Color

18. 

Shape

19. 

Animal

20. 

Size

21. 

Action

22. 

Color

23. 

Your name

24. 

Machine

25. 

Action

(1) (2) (3)

(4) (5) (6)

(7) (8) (9)

(10) (11)

(13)

(12)

(14) (15) (16)

(17) (18) (19) (20) (21)

(22)

(23)

(24) (25)

(9)

(9)
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 21

Marine Debris

Draw a line from the type of debris (trash) to the 

time it takes to decompose (go away) in the marine 

environment.

200 years 

400 years 

6 weeks

450 years 

3 months

2 months

plastic bottle 

apple core

plastic 6-packing

wax milk carton

aluminum cans

newspaper
22 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

Can you find the 8 things wrong 

in this picture?
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ 23

Answers

Sea horse match: #’s 3 and 5 are the same

Secret Code: Decrease your trash, reduce, reuse, recycle
24 http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/

More Answers

200 years 

400 years 

6 weeks

450 years 

3 months

2 months

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

nets can be very damaging to reefs,

and many reef creatures are |protected

litter such as plastic bags

can hurt sea turtles who

mistake them for jellysh,

a favorite food

|

(3 and 4) Just silly−

dolphins don’t wear |hats or skirts!

Reef creatures are better

when left where they

belong--take only photos |

dropping your anchor

on the reef can cause

serious harm to this

fragile area|

Watch your step!

Stepping on the

coral can damage

the reef too

|

Cans and bottles

can stay in the

environment for a

long, long time

|
Produced by:

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science:

Susan Baker | Brigitte Tran

Timothy Dorch | Mary Mahling

NOAA’s SeaGrant:

Vanessa Maxwell

NOAA’s Office of Ocean and

Coastal Resource Management:

Lauren Chhay | Maria Barry

Marci Wolff | Paulo Maurin

In honor of the International Year of the Reef of 2008.

Regional Activity Book Series: 

1. Chesapeake Bay Activity Book

2. Coastal North Carolina Activity Book 

3. Salish Sea Activity Book 

4. Mobile Bay Activity Book

5. Why Is Hawaii’s Ocean Important: A Keiki Activity Book

6. Coastal Louisiana Activity Book

7. Arctic/Antarctic Activity Book 

Thematic Activity Book Series: 

1. Coral Reef Activity Book

2. Red Tide Activity Book

Copies of this material can be downloaded from: 

http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/