Pukapuka AtollAerial view of Pukapuka Atoll. The origin of atolls has always fascinated sailors and naturalists, who early appreciated that, although reef-building organismsinhabitonly the shallowest depths of the sea (about 100 metres [330 feet]), the reefs rose from much deeper. The modern exp...
4. Atoll:An atoll is a circular coral reef that has a lagoon in the middle. Atolls take millions of years to form. Scientists have theorized that atolls are fringing reefs that form around small and low-elevation islands. Over time, these islands gradually erode below the surface while the ...
The Timor Sea is home to coral reefs like the Scott and Seingaptanam reefs. They are atoll-like reefs over 300 km from Western Australia, lying at the end of the continental shelf. Towards the west on the same submerged area is the Rowley shoals. The nutrient-rich waters of the Timor ...
Fringing reefsform borders along shorelines and grow toward the sea from the shore. Barrier reefs form parallel to shore but are separated from it by a lagoon. Atollsare reefs that continue to grow upward after the island they surround has sunk. Other types of reefs are bank reefs, which h...
some of them elongated intoribbon reefs. (3)Atollsare like circular barrier reefs but without their central landmass. (4) Finally, there areplatform, or patch, reefs, which have irregular tablelike orpinnaclefeatures. Smaller patches occur insideatolllagoons. Larger patches occur as isolated parts...
Seychelles history dates back to 200 - 300 AD. The Arab seafarers first recorded seeing the Aldabra atoll of the Seychelles in the 9th century. Today people from all over the world live in the Seychelles main island Mahé. Eden Island on Seychelles ...
6. Kiritimati or Christmas island is the largest atoll in the world that is formed by corals. The nameKiritimatiis pronounced differently in the Gilbertese language of the local people. They pronounce the 't' as an 's', thus the island's name "Christmas island" ...
The permanent population of Bora Bora is quite small, with less than 9000 residents as of 2008. The majority of residents live in Vaitape, found on the western edge of the main island. Tupai, the largest atoll, has a number of coconut plantation workers, but no permanent population. While...
The plants and animals that live in coral reefs like to be near the surface of the water. Coral reefs grow close to the surface so people can explore them. 2. Which type of reef grows directly off the shoreline? Atoll reef Barrier reef ...
The Arab seafarers first recorded viewing the Aldabra atoll of Seychelles in the 9th century. Now, people from all over the world live on the Seychelles’ main island Mahé. Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama passed the islands on this route around Africa and Asia in the 15th century. However...