What type of coral reef is found in Dominica?
There are three basic types of coral reefs. Fringing reefs grow out from shore, generally parallel the coastline, and are considered the youngest reef-type geologically. Barrier reefs also generally grow parallel to the coastline, but far offshore (in some cases more than 25 miles), and are separated from the mainland by a relatively shallow area of water called a lagoon. Atolls are reefs (primarily found in the tropical Pacific Ocean) that form in the open sea, usually around older islands that have sunk back into the ocean. The islands submerge due to geological forces, leaving behind a ring of coral around a large lagoon where the island once sat above sea level. Dominica’s coral areas are geological young, having been occasionally disrupted by the island’s volcanic past, and form small fringing reefs on steep volcanic walls, primarily along the island’s leeward coast. What are the general types of corals? Corals are animals placed in the Phylum Cnidaria, named for the stinging stru
