Answer to Question #245915 in Microbiology for Red

Question

Briefly describe and give at least one example each of the following coral reefs (a) Fringing reef

(b) Barrier reef.

Answer 1

Fringing reefs grow near the coastline around islands and continents. They are separated from the shore by narrow, shallow lagoons. Fringing reefs are the most common type of reef that we see. Atolls are rings of coral that create protected lagoons and are usually located in the middle of the sea.

Barrier reef, a coral reef (q.v.) roughly parallel to a shore and separated from it by a lagoon or other body of water. A barrier reef is usually pierced by several channels that give access to the lagoon and the island or continent beyond it.