Homework - Reefs in Belize Dying

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

Belize (1/25/2010) - The coral reefs off the coast of Belize are really important to that country. A lot of people from Belize depend on the coral reef for food. The reef is home to over 500 different kinds of fish. The people catch them so that they can eat them for dinner...Also many people travel there to look at the fish. This brings in $100 million dollars a year for the country.

In 1998, Hurricane Mitch hit Belize and destroyed parts of the reef. Then a weather system called El Nino brought in a lot of super hot water onto the reef and that basically cooked the reef. This is called bleaching.

Right now there are piles of dead coral all over the  reef. A scientist named Melanie McField studied the reef and she says that 48% of the reef is dead.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How many different kinds of fish live there?

4) How many dollars does Belize earn from people coming to look at the fish?

5) When did Huuricane Mitch hit Belize?

6) What is it called when the reef cooks?

7) What percent of the reef is dead?

Info from the Guardian and Nat. Geo.