An
atoll (, , , , or ), sometimes called a
coral atoll, is a ring-shaped
coral reef including a coral rim that encircles a
lagoon partially or completely. There may be
coral islands/
cays on the rim. The coral of the atoll often sits atop the rim of an extinct
seamount or
volcano which has eroded or subsided partially beneath the water. The lagoon forms over the volcanic crater or
caldera while the higher rim remains above water or at shallow depths that permit the coral to grow and form the reefs. For the atoll to persist, continued erosion or subsidence must be at a rate slow enough to permit reef growth upwards and outwards to replace the lost height.
