explaining coral atolls

Question 1

what are coral reefs?

Answer 1

type of diverse habitat found in continental shelf zone.
Created by colonies of tiny coral animals, each animal produces hard structures that surrounds the body, after animal dies empty structure remains and a new coral animal grows on the remains

Question 2

what is the environment of coral reefs

Answer 2

microscopic algae live in the bodies of coral animals and provide food for corals, coral grows in shallow tropical ocean water. Reefs grow above continental shelves or around volcanic islands

Question 3

what are the types of coral reefs?

Answer 3

fringing reef, barrier reef, and atoll

Question 4

what is a fringing reef?

Answer 4

closely surrounds volcanic island edge, as seafloor sinks volcano cools and gets dense and sinks, reef grows upward above the water

Question 5

what is a barrier reef?

Answer 5

more water separates reef from island, volcano island sinks top of the volcano narrower

Question 6

what is an atoll?

Answer 6

island continues to sink until entirely underwater, ring-shaped reef surrounding shallow lagoon

Question 7

how are shapes used in reefs?

Answer 7

reefs can form a variety of shapes, used to name coral species