0
Barrier reefs begin as fringing reefs along the shores of a volcano. Then over millions of years the volcano sinks lower into the sea and the sea level rises around the volcano. The coral grows upwards to keep from getting too far from the sunlight at the sea surface. The outward side of the coral reef grows fastest, since ocean currents bring in the plankton that the corals feed on. The water on the landward side of the reef is still and there is less oceanic plankton. Here the reef is unable to grow fast enough to keep up with the rising sea level and is eventually drowned. A lagoon develops between the reef and the land, resulting in the characteristic barrier reef shape.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What type of site is the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef is a coral reef.
What is the name of a barrier reef?
The barrier reef off of the coast of Australia is the Great Barrier Reef. This reef is the largest coral reef system in the entire world.
What are natural disasters in the Great Barrier Reef?
The most common natural disaster in the Great Barrier Reef is the occurrence cyclones. The Great Barrier Reef is in the Coral Sea, and many cyclones form in the Coral Sea each cyclone season.
Is the Great Barrier Reef an atoll?
No. The Great Barrier Reef is not a single atoll, but atolls do form part of it. The Great Barrier Reef is a series of atolls, islands and reefs extending for a length of approximately 2300km.
What is the proper name for the Great Barrier Reef?
The proper name for the Great Barrier Reef is simply "Great Barrier Reef".
Is Osprey Reef located on the Great Barrier Reef?
No. Although Osprey Reef is in the Coral Sea, where the Great Barrier Reef is located, it is actually separate from the Great Barrier Reef.
When did the Great Barrier Reef get it name?
The Great Barrier Reef was named by Matthew Flinders, the first explorer to circumnavigate the Australian continent.The Great Barrier Reef is a coral reef placed into the category of 'barrier reef'. This means that the reef is separated from the coastline due to the water's depth being too deep. The reef was given its name because of the following.Great: The Great Barrier Reef is a large and vast coral reef: at 2000km long, it is the largest coral reef in the world.Barrier: The Great Barrier Reef is a barrier reef. A barrier reef is one which runs parallel to the shore, separated by a channel of water.Reef: The Great Barrier Reef is a coral reef.
Is the Great Barrier Reef the largest reef in the world?
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the world.
What is an example of an ecosystem in the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef is a coral reef ecosystem.
What is significant about the New Caledonia Barrier Reef?
Its a double barrier reef.
Is the mesoamerican barrier reef the same thing as the Belize barrier reef?
The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System stretches from the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula down to the Bay Islands of Honduras. It includes the Belize Barrier Reef. This reef structure is the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest barrier reef in the world.
What is the largest coral reef in the world?
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef.
