There are three main types of coral formations. These are Fringing reefs, Barrier reefs and Atolls.
- 1. Fringing reefs- A fringing reef are formed closed to the shore. It is a submerged platform of living coral that extends from the shore into the sea. Patch reefs also occur along the shores, particularly in bays and inlets.
- 2. Barrier reefs- These reefs follow the shoreline but are separated from it by water. They form a barrier between the open sea and shore. A barrier reef may consist of a series of reefs separated by channels of open water. e.g. the great barrier reef in Australia and bar reef in Sri Lanka
- 3. Atoll reefs-An atoll is a ring shaped island found in the middle of the open sea. It forms, when coral builds up around the rim of the crater of a sunken volcano or on top of submerged sea mount( e.g. Maldives, Laccadive, Chagos). The atoll encloses a water body called a lagoon, which has several channels connecting it in to the sea.
