"species of birds, fish and reptiles. In the lagoon, sparse living coral still can be found; the dominant species is ""Montipora bilaminata"" (family Acroporidae). Most of the coral in the lagoon is dead, presumed to have been killed by influxes of cold water. Though no terrestrial birds are found on the atoll, Ducie Island is known for the seabirds that breed there. Birds that have been recorded nesting on the atoll include the red-billed tropicbird, red-tailed tropicbird, fairy tern, great frigatebird, bristle-thighed curlew, masked booby and red-footed booby. A number of gull species, including the sooty tern, blue noddy, brown"
"Atoll An atoll (, , , , or ), sometimes called a coral atoll, is a ring-shaped coral reef including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. The coral of the atoll often sits atop the rim of an extinct seamount or volcano which has eroded or subsided partially beneath the water. The lagoon forms over the volcanic crater or caldera while the higher rim remains above water(s) or at shallow depths that permit the coral to grow and form the reefs. For the atoll to persist,"
"National Geographic Society defines lagoons as a ""shallow body of water protected from a larger body of water (usually the ocean) by sandbars, barrier islands, or coral reefs."" There are two different types of lagoons: coastal lagoons and atoll lagoons. Coral reefs are one of the most well-known marine ecosystems within the world. The largest being that of the Great Barrier Reef. These reefs are composed of large coral colonies of a variety of species living together. The corals form multiple symbiotic relationships with the organisms around them. The deep sea contains up to 95% of the space occupied by"
"Pseudo-atoll A pseudo-atoll, like an atoll, is an island that encircles a lagoon, either partially or completely. A pseudo-atoll differs from an atoll as established by several authorities, such as how it is formed (not by subsidence, nor by coral). It is considered a preferable term to ""near-atoll"". There is a need for rigorous definition of ""pseudo-atoll"" before it can be accepted as a general term. Alexander Agassiz gave the term pseudo-atoll to ""any ring-shaped reefs not formed as a result of subsidence"". while Norman D. Newell and J. Keith Rigby called such reefs non-coral. and ""We conclude that almost-atoll"
"enclosing a lagoon in which there are no promontories other than reefs and islets composed of reef detritus"" or ""in an exclusively morphological sense, [as] a ring-shaped ribbon reef enclosing a lagoon"". Most of the world's atolls are in the Pacific Ocean (with concentrations in the Tuamotu Islands, Caroline Islands, Marshall Islands, Coral Sea Islands, and the island groups of Kiribati, Tuvalu and Tokelau) and Indian Ocean (the Atolls of the Maldives, the Lakshadweep Islands, the Chagos Archipelago and the Outer Islands of the Seychelles). The Atlantic Ocean has no large groups of atolls, other than eight atolls east of"
"island is circled by a broad fringing reef, which, off the western coast swings sharply away from the shore to enclose the lagoon. The precipitous sides of the central mass are scored by three shallow terraces, marking pauses in the uplift of the island; but these are not readily observed, being smothered under the dense vegetation that clothes the whole towering structure. It is a former atoll, specifically called a “Guyot”. This is an extinct volcano that has become overgrown by coral reefs to form an atoll. The flat top was once at sea level, which is why the summit"
"Lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by barrier islands or reefs. Lagoons are commonly divided into coastal lagoons and atoll lagoons. They have also been identified as occurring on mixed-sand and gravel coastlines. There is an overlap between bodies of water classified as coastal lagoons and bodies of water classified as estuaries. Lagoons are common coastal features around many parts of the world. Lagoons are shallow, often elongated bodies of water separated from a larger body of water by a shallow or exposed shoal, coral reef, or similar feature. Some"
"a lagoon, which often extends more than a hundred metres to the reef, then slopes steeply to deep water. The reef fronts the shore to the north of the island, making the lagoon there unsuitable for swimming and water sports, but to the south east, particularly around Muri, the lagoon is at its widest and deepest. This part of the island is the most popular with tourists for swimming, snorkelling and boating. Agricultural terraces, flats and swamps surround the central mountain area. Along the southeast coast off Muri Beach are four small coral islets within a few hundred metres of"
"expedition in 1897. The third expedition in 1898 was led by Alfred Edmund Finckh. On January 6, 2009, U.S. President George W. Bush announced the creation of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, covering several islands and atolls under U.S. jurisdiction. Atoll An atoll (, , , , or ), sometimes called a coral atoll, is a ring-shaped coral reef including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. The coral of the atoll often sits atop the rim of an extinct seamount or volcano which has"
"Coral island A coral island is a type of island formed from coral detritus and associated organic material. They occur in tropical and sub-tropical areas, typically as part of coral reefs which have grown to cover a far larger area under the sea. Coral reefs are some of the oldest ecosystems on the planet. Over geological time forming massive reefs made of limestone. The reef environment supports more plant and animal species than any other habitat. Coral reefs are vital for life for multiple aspects some of which include structure, ecology, and nutrient cycles which all support biodiversity in the"
"coast, while estuaries are usually drowned river valleys, elongated perpendicular to the coast. When used within the context of a distinctive portion of coral reef ecosystems, the term ""lagoon"" is synonymous with the term ""back reef"" or ""backreef"", which is more commonly used by coral reef scientists to refer to the same area. Coastal lagoons are classified as inland bodies of water. Many lagoons do not include ""lagoon"" in their common names. Albemarle and Pamlico sounds in North Carolina, Great South Bay between Long Island and the barrier beaches of Fire Island in New York, Isle of Wight Bay, which"
"Coral Triangle The Coral Triangle is a geographical term so named as it refers to a roughly triangular area of the tropical marine waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste that contain at least 500 species of reef-building corals in each ecoregion. This region encompasses portions of two biogeographic regions: the Indonesian-Philippines Region, and the Far Southwestern Pacific Region. The Coral Triangle is recognized as the global centre of marine biodiversity and a global priority for conservation. It is also called the ""Amazon of the seas"" and covers of ocean waters. Its biological resources sustain"
"around . At the outer edge of the reef shelf, the bottom slopes very steeply into deep water, at some locations dropping to more than within of the shore. In the lagoon, numerous coral heads present hazards to navigation. The shallow reef shelf surrounding the island on the ocean side offers no ocean-side anchorage. The channel and anchorage areas in the northern half of the lagoon are dredged, along with the pre-1971 ship turning basin. Significant saltwater wetlands called barachois exist in the southern half of the lagoon. These small lagoons off of the main lagoon are filled with seawater"
"a protective area, or it may lie between the reef and the shore, and in this case is a flat, rocky area. Fish tend to prefer it when it is present. The reef lagoon is an entirely enclosed region, which creates an area less affected by wave action and often contains small reef patches. However, the ""topography of coral reefs is constantly changing. Each reef is made up of irregular patches of algae, sessile invertebrates, and bare rock and sand. The size, shape and relative abundance of these patches changes from year to year in response to the various factors"
"barrier reef. The lagoon floor is covered with thick sand deposits and thickets of staghorn Acropora. The reef is protected by Ngaruangel Reserve. There is one small, barren and uninhabited islet, Ngaruangel Island, in the center of the eastern rim of the atoll, at its easternmost point. Ngaruangel Island is long north-south, and from wide in the south to in the north. There is a sand spit attached to the island, pointing southwest into the lagoon, long and wide. The total area of the island is . The islet consists almost entirely of pieces of rough coral rock thrown up"
"Cay A cay ( or ), also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans (including in the Caribbean and on the Great Barrier Reef and Belize Barrier Reef). The 1492 indigenous people of Bahamas were called ""Lucayan"", an Anglicization of the Spanish ""Lucayos"", derived in turn from the Taíno ""Lukku-Cairi"" (which the people used for themselves), meaning ""people of the islands"". The Taíno word for ""island"", ""cairi"", became ""cayo"" in Spanish and ""cay"" in English (spelled ""key"" in"
"are small with low elevation above sea level. Thus they are at threat from storms and rising sea levels. Coral island A coral island is a type of island formed from coral detritus and associated organic material. They occur in tropical and sub-tropical areas, typically as part of coral reefs which have grown to cover a far larger area under the sea. Coral reefs are some of the oldest ecosystems on the planet. Over geological time forming massive reefs made of limestone. The reef environment supports more plant and animal species than any other habitat. Coral reefs are vital for"
"Kiritimati Kiritimati, or Christmas Island, is a Pacific Ocean raised coral atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The name ""Kiritimati"" is a respelling of the English word ""Christmas"" in the Kiribati language, in which the combination ""ti"" is pronounced ""s"", and the name is thus pronounced . The island has the greatest land area of any coral atoll in the world, about ; its lagoon is roughly the same size. The atoll is about in perimeter, while the lagoon shoreline extends for over . Kiritimati comprises over 70% of the total land"
"Island An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be called an eyot or ait, and a small island off the coast may be called a holm. A grouping of geographically or geologically related islands is called an archipelago, such as the Philippines. An island may be described as such, despite the presence of an artificial land bridge; examples are Singapore and its causeway, and"
"Microatoll A microatoll is a circular colony of coral, dead on the top but living around the perimeter. Growth is mainly lateral, as upward growth is limited by exposure to air. Microatolls may be up to in diameter. They are named for their resemblance to island atolls formed during the subsidence of volcanic islands, as originally suggested by Darwin (1842). They act as natural recorders of sea level, which allows the monitoring of sea level changes in response to global warming. They have also been used to quantify and date changes in relative sea level in seismically active areas, and"
"Waterlemon Cay Waterlemon Cay is a small cay surrounded by a fringing reef located in Leinster Bay on Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands. It is named after the water lemon. The cay is surrounded by a fringing reef, and is considered to be one of the best snorkeling spots on the island. A trail leads from the sandy beach at Leinster Bay approximately along the point, from which is a ten-minute swim to the cay, where there is a small beach. The cay boasts a wide variety of reef fishes and coral, however bleaching is prevalent, and the marine life"
"state of constant morphological change due to the prevailing southerly sea swells and resultant northwards longshore drift. Lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by barrier islands or reefs. Lagoons are commonly divided into coastal lagoons and atoll lagoons. They have also been identified as occurring on mixed-sand and gravel coastlines. There is an overlap between bodies of water classified as coastal lagoons and bodies of water classified as estuaries. Lagoons are common coastal features around many parts of the world. Lagoons are shallow, often elongated bodies of water separated from"
"Korission Lagoon Korission Lagoon is a coastal lagoon located in the southern part of the Greek island of Corfu, in the Ionian Sea. It is located near the village of Agios Mattheos and is separated from the sea by Chalikouna Beach. It has a surface area of approximately 6000 acres and it drains into the sea through a channel which bisects Chalikouna Beach. The lagoon was created by the sand dunes that cut the lake's basin off from the sea between 140,000 and 250,000 years ago. Korission Lagoon and its environs are protected by the Natura 2000 treaty, the protected"
"two lagoon systems, the north and south lagoons which are bounded by narrow reef platforms. It is a almost triangular northern and southern atoll-like reefs separated by a deep channel that is open to the west. The channel runs east to west from deep with a fine white sand bottom, numerous mounds and patches of branching corals under the deep blue water. The north lagoon is an enclosed triangular coral reef platform partly exposed during low tide. It is relatively shallow with depths of about . While the south lagoon is an inverted triangular coral platform enclosed on two sides"
"Coral Sea Islands The Coral Sea Islands Territory is an external territory of Australia which comprises a group of small and mostly uninhabited tropical islands and reefs in the Coral Sea, northeast of Queensland, Australia. The only inhabited island is Willis Island. The territory covers , most of which is ocean, extending east and south from the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef and includes Heralds Beacon Island, Osprey Reef, the Willis Group and fifteen other reef/island groups. Cato Island is the highest point in the Territory. The Coral Sea Islands were first charted in 1803. In the 1870s"
"a medium-sized coralline atoll circled by a regular coral reef, similar to those in the neighboring Maldives. The diameter of the lagoon, known as ""Baie de Peros Banhos"" in French, is just above 20 km. The circling reef is sunken on its southeastern rim. All islands are flat and sandy and the largest ones are covered with coconut trees. The largest and most important island in the group is Île du Coin. It was home to the Perch Settlement from where the coconut plantations of the Atoll were run. This island was the main port of the atoll and had"
"Archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, New Zealand, Maldives, the British Isles, the Bahamas, the Aegean Islands (Greece), the Florida Keys, Hawaii, the Canary Islands, the Madeira and the Azores are all examples of well-known archipelagos. The word ""archipelago"" is derived from the Ancient Greek ἄρχι- (""arkhi-"", ""chief"") and πέλαγος (""pélagos"", ""sea"") through the Italian ""arcipelago"". In Italian, possibly following a tradition of antiquity, ""Archipelago"" (from medieval Greek *ἀρχιπέλαγος"
"continued erosion or subsidence must be at a rate slow enough to permit reef growth upwards and outwards to replace the lost height. The word ""atoll"" comes from the Dhivehi (an Indo-Aryan language spoken on the Maldive Islands) word ""atholhu"" (Dhivehi: , ), meaning an administrative subdivision. Its first recorded use in English was in 1625 as ""atollon"". Charles Darwin recognized its indigenous origin and coined, in his ""The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs"", the definition of atolls as ""circular groups of coral islets"" that is synonymous with ""lagoon-island"". More modern definitions of ""atoll"" describe them as ""annular reefs"
"Australian government announced that a protected area was planned and pending approval. Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu (formerly the New Hebrides) and by New Caledonia, and in the northeast approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands. In the northwest, it reaches to the south"
"territorial sea of their own. Island An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be called an eyot or ait, and a small island off the coast may be called a holm. A grouping of geographically or geologically related islands is called an archipelago, such as the Philippines. An island may be described as such, despite the presence of an artificial land bridge; examples are"
"strip wide lies inland from the beach. Wake Island is a coral atoll with a coastline of just north of the Marshall Islands. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States. Access to the island is restricted and all activities on the island are managed by the United States Air Force. The majority of the islands in the area are part of a coral atoll. Coral atolls begin as coral reefs that grow on the slopes of a central volcano. When the volcano sinks back down into the sea, the coral continues to grow, keeping the reef at"
"to work on labor plantations in Queensland, Australia, and to further its own colonial interests, Great Britain established a protectorate over most of what is now the Solomon Islands. In 1897, the protectorate was extended to include Sikaiana, Rennell, and Bellona Islands. Sikaiana Sikaiana (formerly called the Stewart Islands) is a small atoll NE of Malaita in Solomon Islands in the south Pacific Ocean. It is almost in length and its lagoon, known as Te Moana, is totally enclosed by the coral reef. Its total land surface is only . There is no safe anchorage close to this atoll, which"
"the community. Arno Atoll Arno Atoll (Marshallese: , ) is a coral atoll of 133 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is only . Unlike most other atolls, Arno encloses three different lagoons, a large central one, and two smaller ones in the north and east. Its main lagoon encloses an area of . At a distance of only , it is the closest atoll to the Marshall Islands capital, Majuro Atoll, and can be seen looking east from Majuro on a clear day"