Lauren Cook, daughter of Jeff and Carla Cook of Dagsboro, Del., was the first-place winner in the Coast Day Essay Contest, sponsored annually by UD's College of Marine Studies and the Sea Grant College program.Ahoy there, mates! I am the great explorer, Lauren Cook, who will be taking you in the deep-sea submersible, Alvin, to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Although Alvin is small, I'm sure that you'll enjoy this adventure.The first- through third-place winners were all from Frankford Elementary School in Frankford, Del. In her essay, Cook took a deep-sea submersible to the Great Barrier Reef off the Australia coast, cautioning readers about the danger of upsetting the ecological balance of the reef by gathering sea life as souvenirs. Her essay is below.
On this beautiful January summer day, we will be searching the reef for triton shellfish, crown of thorns starfish and corals to perform an experiment.
Unfortunately, the crown of thorns starfish is destroying the reef. Here is the problem: Their population has dramatically increased due to souvenir hunters greedily collecting the shells of their natural enemy, the triton shellfish. In one night, the starfish can destroy a coral head that took fifty years to grow. Possibly, by increasing the number of triton, the reef could be saved.
Just now, in the reef, I spot the striped clown fish, which appears so exuberant. Its unique camouflage allows it to easily hide from its predators in the coral. Next, I see a black tipped reef shark, which is rarely detected in the reef. Although the reef seems gargantuan, our trip has been successful, since we managed to collect many corals, tritons and starfish for our experiment.
As we celebrate the Year of the Ocean, a valuable lesson can be learned. If people upset the balance of nature by taking things from it, they can cause as much destruction as pollution itself. Remember that the Earth's oceans provide clean water as well as homes to literally thousands of sea creatures.
Lauren Cook
Frankford Elementary School
Frankford, Del.