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Coral is not really a rock. Corals are groups of living animals belonging to a group called cnidaria which also includes jellyfish and hydras and other simple animals. Cnidaria do not have any organs, but their entire bodies consist of two layers of tissue.
A coral animal is a soft-bodied cnidarian known as a polyp; genetically identical polyps (the offspring of one individual) gather together in colonies and together they build a skeleton around themselves out of calcium carbonate (the same mineral that makes up most of chalk, eggshells and limestone.) It is this calcium carbonate skeleton that we usually think of as "coral," as the soft animals are usually very small and hidden away within it.
Given enough time and the right conditions to multiply and grow corals can grow from small colonies to huge skeletons and colonies that can form real geographical features that shape the planet's surface; coral reefs, islands and atolls are a few examples. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia for example is clearly visible from space. Because the coral polyps in the Great Barrier Reef are genetically identical and share the same skeleton it has been argued that this reef should be classified as one organism - the largest organism on the planet!
The way in which coral polyps form their skeletons depends highly on factors like the composition and temperature of the ocean they live in. Corals are therefore very useful as indicators to tell us about how the climate is changing, as experts can tell what kind of conditions were like when the coral skeleton was formed. Coral polyps are very vulnerable to climate change - given their great beauty, importance to the global ecosystem (after all, they are the only animals other than humans that can form islands and reefs that change the planet's geography!), and use to humans in tourism, jewelery (made from the beautifully colored skeletons), construction (seriously, those skeletons are tough!) and climate research, corals are well worth preserving!
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Coral is not a rock; it is a marine invertebrate organism that forms hard, calcium carbonate structures called coral reefs. Coral reefs are formed when coral polyps secrete calcium carbonate to build their exoskeletons, creating the reef structure. There are different types of coral reefs, including barrier reefs, fringing reefs, and atolls.
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What type of rocks are metamorphic rocks formed from?
Metamorphic rocks are formed from existing rocks that undergo changes in temperature, pressure, or chemical reactions due to processes like heat and pressure from deep within the Earth's crust. These existing rocks can be sedimentary, igneous, or even other metamorphic rocks that get transformed into a new type of rock.
Why do rock and not fossils form sedimentary rock and not igneous rock?
Because sedimentery rock is formed under the sea, sediment collects at the bottom of the ocean, and so does a few dead sea creatures, then t gets squashed by other sediment, igneous rock is formed by lava cooling, so there is no fossils in it.
What specific type of rock can NOT be formed from minerals?
There are a couple examples. Coal is a rock, but it is organic and so does not contain minerals. Obsidian and pumice are both varieties of volcanic glass. Since they lack a crystal structure, they are not composed of minerals
What is fiery about igneouse rocks?
Nothing they do not burn. However igneous rock are those formed from molten rock so in the respect that a fire is hot, igneous rocks formed from hot magma.
How could the type of shoreline affect the types of sediment you find there?
Rocky shorelines have rocks and cliffs, so when the waves crash against the rock fragments and sediments are formed along the shoreline.
What are the difference of corals and coral reefs?
A coral reef is a colony of corals. A coral reef can be formed on rock rubble, but old established coral reefs are actually structured out of dead coral. This is one of the reasons it takes so long for a reef to form. Some corals may life for tens or even hundreds of years before they die and allow another coral to grow on top of their skeleton. There are many types of coral reefs, but the real difference is that coral is what makes up a coral reef.
What types of rocks are found there at great barrier reef?
The reef sits on top of thousands of years of compacted coral skeletons that have compressed and fused to form limestone rocks. So yes, there are rocks in the reef as it is principally composed of rock.
What rock group is limestone in?
lolololol igneous....Igneous is a rock group, so it doesn't belong in a rock group, because it is a rock group itself. There is a set of three rock groups, (The other's being Sedimentary and Metamorphic) Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
How is Marsden Rock formed?
Marsden Rock is a sea stack formed from the softer rock eroding away over time due to coastal erosion, leaving behind a column of harder rock. The action of waves, wind, and weathering gradually shaped the formation into the distinct pillar-like structure we see today.
Where does coral grow?
Under water... technically coral is a whole bunch of tiny animal sketelans, not a plant, so builds up, not gtows. Most people mistake coral for 'growing' though.
What rock is a sedimentary rock formed from?
Sedimentary rock is so named because it is formed from sediments. The sediments could be particles of rock, sand, minerals, or organic material.
What is the type of rock grain that form when molten rock cools so fast that it traps pockets of air inside?
Vesicular igneous rock is formed when pockets of gas are trapped during rapid cooling of lava.
What is the lightest rock in the world?
The lightest rock in the world is pumice. Pumice is a type of volcanic rock that is formed when lava with high water and gas content is rapidly cooled. It is so light that it can float on water.
What type of rocks are metamorphic rocks formed from?
Metamorphic rocks are formed from existing rocks that undergo changes in temperature, pressure, or chemical reactions due to processes like heat and pressure from deep within the Earth's crust. These existing rocks can be sedimentary, igneous, or even other metamorphic rocks that get transformed into a new type of rock.
Is a piece of clay pot a rock?
If clay is a rock
What ia an igneous rock?
An igneous rock is the only type of rock out of the 3 (igneous,sedimentary and metamorphic) in which it is formed out of pure lava. So, when a volcano spews lava (or magma), it cools and hardens, becoming igneous rock (pretty simple process).
Why do rock and not fossils form sedimentary rock and not igneous rock?
Because sedimentery rock is formed under the sea, sediment collects at the bottom of the ocean, and so does a few dead sea creatures, then t gets squashed by other sediment, igneous rock is formed by lava cooling, so there is no fossils in it.
