What is the difference between a fringe reef and a barrier reef

Atolls are rings of coral that create protected lagoons and are usually located in the middle of the sea. Atolls usually form when islands surrounded by fringing reefs sink into the sea or the sea level rises around them these islands are often the tops of underwater volcanoes.

The fringing reefs continue to grow and eventually form circles with lagoons inside. Fringing reefs grow near the coastline around islands and continents. The three types of reef represent stages in development of a coral reef over time. Fringing reefs grow near the coastline around islands and continents. These types of reefs are the most common type we see and are considered to be the youngest of the 3 types of coral reefs. They are separated from the shore by shallow lagoons.

The first stage of the formation is when the coral larvae attach itself to rocks or soil near the coasts. In certain parts of the world, they tend to form where volcanoes have also formed due to the shallow sloped walls being ideal to make shore reefs.

The larvae become polyps and excrete calcium carbonate , which forms their exoskeleton. The secreted calcium carbonate sediments on the rocks and provides a substrate for more polyps coming to attach themselves. As more and more polyps attach, and layer over time, they create a coral reef. Calcareous Algae also add their sediments to the structure.

Other organisms with calcareous skeletons, also add their own remains to the reef as they die and sink. Most marine life on fringing reefs live along the slope. The largest fringing reef in the world is the Ningaloo Reef along the western coast of Australia. Spanning more than miles, the Ningaloo Reef support an exceptional diversity of marine species. Atolls are rings of reefs located in the open ocean. They form when fringing reefs grow around volcanic islands that eventually sink into the ocean.

Atolls usually takes a horse-shoe shape and a lagoon is always found in the middle of one. Barrier reefs are similar to fringing reefs in that they also border a shoreline; however, instead of growing directly out from the shore, they are separated from land by an expanse of water.

This creates a lagoon of open, often deep water between the reef and the shore. Coral reefs are important because they bring in billions of dollars to our economy through tourism, protect coastal homes from storms, support promising medical treatments, and provide a home for millions of aquatic species.