Atoll - Wikipedia
The atoll of Tetiʻaroa in French Polynesia. An atoll (/ ˈ æ t. ɒ l,-ɔː l,-oʊ l, ə ˈ t ɒ l,-ˈ t ɔː l,-ˈ t oʊ l /) [1] is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon.There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. [2] [3]: 60 Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop.Most of the approximately 440 ...
Atoll | Definition & Facts | Britannica
Oct 17, 2024 · atoll, coral reef enclosing a lagoon. Atolls consist of ribbons of reef that may not always be circular but whose broad configuration is a closed shape up to dozens of kilometres across, enclosing a lagoon that may be approximately 50 metres (160 feet) deep or more.
Atoll - National Geographic Society
Oct 19, 2023 · An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets. An atoll surrounds a body of water called a lagoon. Sometimes, atolls and lagoons protect a central island. Channels between islets connect a lagoon to the open ocean or sea. Atolls develop with underwater volcanoes, called seamounts. First, the volcano erupts, piling up lava on ...
Atoll Facts and Information - Coral Reef Info
What is an “atoll”? For reef scientists, atolls are broadly defined as a large, ring-shaped coral reefs that surround a central lagoon. Coming up with a more specific and unambiguous definition of such reef formations is not all that easy however.
What Is An Atoll? - WorldAtlas
Apr 17, 2019 · The modern definition of atoll describes it as an annular reef that has enclosed a lagoon in which there is no raised mass of land projecting into the body of water. Atolls are mostly hidden by ocean waves, with some wrecking canoes and ships.
Atoll Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of ATOLL is a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon. Did you know?
10 Most Captivating Atolls in the World – Touropia Travel
Oct 24, 2024 · An atoll is a ring of coral that originally grew completely around the shoreline of an island, and which continued to grow upward on top of itself as the island subsided or eroded away. As reef building corals thrive only in warm waters, atolls are only found in …
Bikini Atoll - Wikipedia
Bikini Atoll (/ ˈbɪkɪˌniː / or / bɪˈkiːni /; Marshallese: Pikinni, [pʲiɡinnʲi], lit. 'coconut place'), [2] known as Eschscholtz Atoll between the 19th century and 1946, [3] is a coral reef in the Marshall Islands consisting of 23 islands surrounding a 229.4-square-mile (594.1 km 2) central lagoon.
The Largest Atolls In The World - WorldAtlas
Jan 29, 2018 · Most of the world’s great atolls are located in the Pacific Ocean, especially in the islands of Tuamotu, Caroline, Marshall, and the Coral Sea. The Great Chagos Bank is the largest atoll in the world, taking up a massive area of 12,642 square kilometers (4,881 square miles).
What are the three main types of coral reefs? - NOAA's National …
Jun 16, 2024 · The three main types of coral reefs are fringing, barrier, and atoll. Schools of colorful pennantfish, pyramid, and milletseed butterflyfish live on an atoll reef in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.