An Exciting Excursion You wake up ready for action. Today you are an aquanaut. An aquanaut does research underwater. You and your partner will study the algae that grow on the reef. Corals grow better without algae. So you’ll also study the fish that eat the algae. It’s time to swim to the study site.


You and your partner suit up. You grab a spool of rope.


Getting to the Site Outside, you connect the end of your rope to Aquarius. Your rope will be like an underwater road. It will lead you to and from places on the reef. Holding the spool, you swim toward the study site. T e rope stretches out behind you. It looks like thread rolling off of a spool. Early this morning, large, square


cages were lowered into the water. You and your partner will use these cages for your research. You place each cage over a clump


of corals. Algae cover the corals. Next, you’ll herd diff erent types of fish into the cages. T e idea is to see which fish eat the algae. You have a waterproof notebook and pen to take notes.


22 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


Pit Stop A couple of hours go by. T e cages are all ready. It’s time to take a break. Not far away is an underwater station. You and your partner swim inside. Here, you can take off your oxygen masks. Your partner fills the air tanks. You


call Aquarius to give a report. Now you’re ready to go back to work.


Divers test their gear and study fi sh.


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