Question

Coral reefs form when the calcite skeletons of coral build upon each other.

Answer 1

It is TRUE that coral reefs form when a structure of calcite skeletons built up by coral animals in warm, shallow ocean water. To form their skeletons, coral animals absorb the element calcium from the ocean water. The calcium is then combined with carbon and oxygen to form calcite (calcite is a mineral). When coral animals die, their skeletons remain. More corals build on top of them, gradually forming a coral reef.