Where are fringing reefs found?
Fringing reefs develop directly along a coastline or around an island, usually separated from land by only a narrow, shallow lagoon or no lagoon at all. Reef-building corals and coralline algae attach to hard, stable substrata in warm, clear, sunlit marine water. Their symbiotic dinoflagellates require light for photosynthesis, so active reef growth is concentrated in shallow water rather than the deep sea. A rocky coastal foundation provides attachment and resists wave disturbance, while proximity to land gives the reef its “fringing” geometry. Excessive sediment or freshwater runoff can inhi
Ref: Ecology: Concepts and Applications, Molles, 9th Ed., Ch. 2-3