Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Polyps deposit calcium carbonate skeletons over thousands of years. The figure is taken from NOAA Fisheries, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a animals fact?

Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Coral reefs are built by tiny animals

Polyps deposit calcium carbonate skeletons over thousands of years Each polyp hosts algae that make food from sunlight and give the coral its colour. The colony grows slowly, a few millimetres to a couple of centimetres a year. Bleaching happens when heat drives the algae out and the coral turns white. It sits in Mondo's animals collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

NOAA Fisheries

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Nature & Animals trivia

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Zoos breed corals for reef restorationFragments grown in tanks are planted back onto damaged reefs Clownfish coat themselves in mucus to avoid anemone stingsA thick sugar-protein coating prevents anemone nematocysts from firing.Bluestreak cleaner wrasses operate coral reef cleaning stationsLarger fish queue up peacefully to have parasites nibbled away.Greater honeyguides lead humans to wild beehivesThe bird calls humans to trees and eats leftover beeswax.Leafcutter ants farm a fungus, not the leavesThe cut leaves feed a garden that digests them and feeds the colony Giant tube worms live at deep sea ventsThey grow up to two metres long and have no mouth or gut

Tags: coral, reefs, symbiosis

Coral reefs are built by tiny animals: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Polyps deposit calcium carbonate skeletons over thousands of years. The figure is taken from NOAA Fisheries, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a animals fact?: Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.