Nintendo’s “Endless Ocean” video game may not have been designed for educational purposes; However, I can’t think of a better way to get your kids excited about the world’s oceans and coral reefs. -Regardless of your geographic location and from the comfort of your own living room. Sea-sickness not included.
Did you know: 2008 is the “International Year of the Reef”?
Having your kids being interested in a subject like Coral Reefs also makes for a great introduction to using Keyboard, Mouse and the Internet (Google) to find answers to their questions. Needless to say: turn on “Safe Search”, which should be your default setting, and stay with your kids at all times while they browse the web.
Need Answers to what Coral Reefs are? – Now!
Coral reefs are often called the rainforests of the sea, both due to the vast amount of species they harbour, and to the high productivity they yield. Aside from the hundreds of species of coral, reefs support extraordinary biodiversity and are home to a multitude of different types of fish, invertebrates and sea mammals. Covering less than one percent of the ocean floor, reefs support an estimated twenty-five percent of all marine life, with over 4,000 species of fish alone. Reefs provide spawning, nursery, refuge and feeding areas for a large variety of organisms, including sponges, cnidarians, worms, crustaceans (including shrimp, spiny lobsters and crabs), molluscs (including cephalopods), echinoderms (including starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers), sea squirts, sea turtles and sea snakes.
➢ Habitat: Home to over 1 million diverse aquatic species, including thousands of fish species
➢ Income: Billions of dollars and millions of jobs in over 100 countries around the world
➢ Food: For people living near coral reefs, especially on small islands
➢ Protection: A natural barrier protecting coastal cities, communities and beaches
➢ Medicine: The potential for treatments for many of the world’s most prevalent and dangerous illnesses and diseases.
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on January 28th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Thank you for the info! This game sounds somewhat educational and it will help kids be more interested in the ocean, and they can have fun at the same time!