Coral reef to form fringing reefs, and can eventually grow become a barrier reef. Where the bottom is rising, fringing reefs can grow around the coast, but coral raised above sea level dies. If the land subsides slowly, the fringing reefs keep pace by growing upwards on a base of older, dead coral, forming a barrier reef enclosing a lagoon between the reef and the land. A barrier reef can encircle an island, and once the island sinks below sea level a roughly circular atoll of growing coral continues to keep up with the sea level, forming a central lagoon. Barrier reefs
Réunion's coral reef Réunion's coral reef Réunion is an island located near the eastern coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Its coral reef covers a concentrated part of the western littoral. The coral reef is located between St Leu and St Gilles. It is more than long and ranges in width from in its northern part at St. Gilles to in the south. Since the island is close to the continental shelf, the sea becomes deep not far from the coast. The presence of nearby deeper ocean currents supports a rich biodiversity fauna and flora in the reef environment. Coral reefs are