Text and illustrations copyright © Jess Hayman. The right of Jess Hayman to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been identified by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
My home was not a quiet place.
Someone was always moving.
Dancing.
Chasing.
I met new creatures every day.
Some were strange.
Some were scary.
Some were spotty.
Some were stripy.
I was never lonely.
But something was wrong with my home.
Maybe I was lost?
No matter how far I swam, nothing felt right.
Further and further I swam, until one night the sea seemed to fill with stars.
I was so tired from my travels.
So very tired.
And when I woke, I found hope.
ABOUT CORAL BLEACHING The reason that coral looks so colourful is that tiny plants, called algae, live in it. When the oceans get too warm, the coral becomes stressed and releases the algae. The coral then fades, eventually becoming bleached. If the temperature of the water stays too high for too long, the coral does not let the algae back and it dies. The less coral there is, the harder it is for new coral to grow. This matters not only because coral reefs are beautiful but also because lots of fish and other creatures make their homes in coral reefs. The main reason that the temperature of the oceans is increasing is climate change.
HOW CAN WE HELP? Reuse and recycle as much as possible. Avoid car and aeroplane journeys when you can. Walking, cycling or scooting is best (or skateboarding!). Use energy efficient lightbulbs at home. Try to eat only sustainable fish. If you swim in the sea, wear sunscreen without chemicals that can damage coral. If you dive near coral, never touch it. Write to your MP to ask them to campaign against climate change and to support scientific research into repopulating coral.
Octopus lives in a busy, colourful world. But something is wrong. What is happening to the coral? Learn about coral bleaching and how we can help to reduce it.