atoll
Sign in to savethumb|The atoll of Tetiʻaroa in [[French Polynesia]]
AI overview
An atoll is a ring-shaped coral island that encloses a shallow lagoon of water in its center. Atolls are important because they support unique ecosystems and are home to human communities, particularly in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
11 sectionsContents
- Usage
- Distribution and size
- List of atolls
- Gallery
- Formation<span class="anchor" id="Darwin Point"></span>
- Royal Society expeditions 1896-98
- See also
- References
- Inline citations
- Sources
- External links
thumb|The atoll of Tetiʻaroa in [[French Polynesia]]
An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Most of the approximately 440 atolls in the world are in the Pacific Ocean.