Consider the following statements regarding corals and coral bleaching: 1. Corals are invertebrate animals that form colonies of polyps through a process called budding and are classified into hard corals and soft corals. 2. Hard corals build massive reef structures by secreting calcium phosphate, while soft corals do not contribute to reef formation. 3. Coral bleaching occurs when corals expel their symbiotic zooxanthellae algae due to environmental stress, primarily caused by rising ocean temperatures, leading to a loss of color and nutrients. Which of the above statements are correct? |ForumIAS

[A] 1 and 2 only

[B] 1 and 3 only

[C] 2 and 3 only

[D] 1, 2, and 3

Answer: B

Notes:

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Corals are invertebrate animals that live in colonies formed through budding, and they are classified as hard or soft corals.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Hard corals secrete calcium carbonate, not calcium phosphate, to build reef structures. Soft corals do not contribute to reef formation, but they are still important to the marine ecosystem.
Statement 3 is correct: Coral bleaching occurs when corals expel their zooxanthellae algae due to environmental stress, primarily rising ocean temperatures, which affects their color and nutrient source.

Source– DH

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