Knowra Fringing reef Fringing reef A coral reef that grows close to a shoreline, with no broad lagoon separating it from land. It may attach directly to the coast or be separated by a narrow shallow channel.
Coral reef : A marine ecosystem and limestone structure built chiefly by reef-building corals and other organisms. Fringing reefs are one reef form, distinguished by their close relation to shore.
Coral reef zonation : The distribution of distinct ecological communities across a reef, shaped by depth, waves, light, and other conditions. Fringing reefs commonly show shore-to-sea zones as exposure and water depth change.
Barrier reef : A coral reef separated from the coast by a broad, relatively deep lagoon. Its wide intervening lagoon contrasts with the narrow or absent lagoon of a fringing reef.
Coastal protection by coral reefs : The reduction of wave energy and coastal flooding by reef structures. Because fringing reefs lie near shore, they can directly buffer adjacent coastlines.
Reef-building coral : A coral that secretes a hard calcium-carbonate skeleton and commonly houses symbiotic algae. These corals construct much of the framework that makes a fringing reef.
Coral reef accretion : The net buildup of reef framework through biological growth, sediment accumulation, and cementation. Accretion determines whether reef growth keeps pace with changing sea level.
Atoll : A ring-shaped coral reef or island enclosing a lagoon, commonly formed around a subsided volcanic island. An atoll forms a ring around open water rather than closely bordering a mainland shore.
Coral reef fishery : The harvesting of fish and invertebrates from coral reef ecosystems. Nearshore reefs can support fisheries closely connected to coastal communities.
Coral polyp : A small, soft-bodied cnidarian animal that lives in a cup-shaped skeleton and forms coral colonies. Polyp colonies create the living growth from which reef framework accumulates.
Coral reef erosion : The breakdown and removal of reef framework by organisms, waves, and chemical processes. Erosion counteracts accretion and can reshape a fringing reef's shoreline edge.
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