Where is Ms. Diemer?

Greetings from San Salvador! San Salvador is an island in the Bahamas. Click here to see a map of where I am right now.

Do you know why I am so far away from school right now? I'm not taking a vacation. I am studying coral. Coral is an animal that lives in the ocean. Some of you may have seen beautiful photos of the coral. Here, in San Salvador, there used to be many beautiful coral. Now, it is like a coral graveyard. The coral are dying off. Do you have any idea what might be causing these beautiful animals to die off? The scientists here are trying to figure that out. I want you to send me your ideas about why the coral is dying. Scientific predictions are called hypotheses.

For the first graders, Mrs. Kennedy will give you some paper to write about it. Mr. Tayleor will post some of your ideas on my blog.

Check out this photo of me in my wetsuit! Do I look funny to you? I am wearing my snorkeling mask and a snorkel just like I showed the first graders at school. The first graders thought I was going to wear SCUBA gear. Check out a photo of someone wearing SCUBA gear here. Can you tell the difference between SCUBA gear and my snorkel gear?

SCUBA gear wouldn't make any sense to wear because the coral we are studying only grows close to the surface of the water. These corals need to be near the surface so the tiny plants that help them survive need sunlight to live. Without the tiny plants, these corals would not grow. Also, these corals need warmer temperatures. As you travel further from the surface of the water, the temperature gets colder. If you stay closer to the surface, the temperature is just right for these corals to grow.

I miss you all so much and I hope you are learning lots with Mrs. Kennedy!

Love,

Ms. Diemer