World Reef Day

 Today is World Reef Day!

What is a coral reef, you may ask? Well, a coral reef is actually a colony of coral polyps that are all held together by a substance called calcium carbonate. These reefs grow best in well-lit shallow, clear, and sunny waters. Corals have been around for about 500 million years. They're little invertebrates that feed on fish using stinging tentacles.

The most famous reef is the Great Barrier Reef, in Australia. This reef is over 20,000 years old and is made up of nearly 3,000 singular reefs. It also stretches around 1,400 miles and covers about 133,000 square feet. It's actually visible from space. 

So, what do reefs...do, exactly? Well, reefs have been described as the rainforests of the sea. What that means is that they are important for oceanic ecosystems. That's because these reefs provide support for about 25% of all known oceanic species. They can also provide natural barriers against erosion.

Reefs are very sensitive to changes in water, so it's very easy to place them in danger. Sadly, they have a lot of hazards. Waters getting increasingly warmer and more acidic, coral bleaching, pollution, among others. But efforts have been made to save reefs because of their importance to marine life. You can learn more here.

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International Dinosaur Day

 Happy International Dinosaur Day, everyone!

Dinosaurs are extinct animals that lived millions of years ago. Their time was known as the Mesozoic Era, going from about 252 to 66 million years ago. They are the ancestors of modern reptiles and birds. Many dinosaurs are well-known in popular culture, like the Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus, and the Stegosaurus. Thing is, based on what we have learned from fossils, these species may never really have co-existed, even though pop culture likes to say otherwise. Also, pterodactyls? While they are often seen as dinosaurs by the general public (For example, Swoop the Dinobot), they actually are not dinosaurs. That's because they have their own classification: Pterosaurs. 

The word "dinosaur" comes from Greek. It means "terrible lizard", and it was coined in 1842 by English paleontologist Sir Richard Owen. 

The largest known dinosaur is the Argentinosaurus. It is believed to have weighed over 180,000 pounds. That's about 82,000 kilograms. Dinosaurs were originally believed to have been covered in scales, much like modern reptiles. However, further discoveries have revealed that some species may have had feathers. Also, it was believed that like modern reptiles, dinosaurs were cold-blooded. However, studies of dinosaur bones have led to the discovery that their metabolisms were closer to warm-blooded creatures (mammals and birds). 

Dinosaurs ruled the earth for millions of years, until a mass extinction event. The general consensus is that a large meteor caused it when it hit the earth, causing massive environmental upheavals. Mammals adapted better to the conditions, allowing them to survive. But some dinosaur species did manage to survive this event as well, allowing them to become the modern reptiles and birds of today.

Yup, dinosaurs are really cool. But you didn't need me to tell you that. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!