An atoll (/ ˈæt.ɒl, - ɔːl, - oʊl, əˈtɒl, - ˈtɔːl, - ˈtoʊl /) [1] is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. [2][3] Atolls are located …

atoll, coral reef enclosing a lagoon. Atolls consist of ribbons of reef that may not always be circular but whose broad configuration is a closed shape up to dozens of kilometres across, enclosing …

May 10, 2025 · An atoll stands as one of Earth’s most remarkable natural formations—a ring-shaped coral reef encircling a lagoon where once stood a volcanic island. These living …

Oct 19, 2023 · An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets. The atoll surrounds a body of water called a lagoon.

Mar 19, 2025 · An atoll is a ring of coral that originally grew completely around the shoreline of an island, and which continued to grow upward on top of itself as the island subsided or eroded …

Many islands in that independent nation demonstrate the archetypal atoll, and geographers often use them to point out the characteristic features of such coral islands.

An atoll is a coral reef grown around a submerged volcanic island. Its defining feature is the lagoon, a shallow body of water in the center, connected to the open ocean by channels …

For reef scientists, atolls are broadly defined as large, ring-shaped coral reefs that surround a central lagoon.

Aug 12, 2024 · The result is an atoll, a circular or horseshoe-shaped coral reef that encircles a lagoon partially or fully. The coral reef and the lagoon together create a unique ecosystem that …

Dec 11, 2025 · atoll (plural atolls) A type of island consisting of a ribbon reef that nearly or entirely surrounds a lagoon and supports, in most cases, one to many islets on the reef platform.