An organism that grows on water or damp surfaces. Algae can been so tiny you can’t see them or as big as kelp which can grow over 30 metres long! Algae can be green, brown, or red. They use sunlight to produce oxygen, like plants, and play a very important role in the ocean food chain.

A plant similar to grass that grows in shallow waters close to land. Seagrasses can grow into huge underwater meadows. They provide a place for young fish and other small sea creatures to live and are an important source of food for larger animals like turtles.

Large algae that grow in the sea or on rocks on the sea shore. Seaweed can be red, brown, or green, and you will often find it washed up on the sea shore.

An animal that can survive by only eating plants.

A sea turtle with a reddish-brown shell and a very large head which lives mostly in warm seas. It is an endangered species, which means it is a type of turtle that is in danger of dying out if we are not careful.

An animal that can survive eating only meat.

A sponge, or kōpūpūtai in Māori, is a simple animal with many cells, but no mouth, muscles, heart or brain. It grows in one spot like most plants do, and can’t move from place to place like most other animals. It draws in water to feed and breathe, and feeds mostly on bacteria and other tiny creatures.

A free-floating ocean creature with a jelly-like body. Is usually see-through, round or bell-shaped, and has stinging tentacles (arms) around the edge of its body.

Free floating ocean creatures that look very similar to jellyfish.