Geography Atlas
Reef Hub

Coral systems, shelf edges, and shallow marine chains.

The reef hub holds marine geography pages focused on coral structure, shallow shelf setting, barrier systems, and coastal marine edges that support long-form atlas records.

Underwater photograph of branching coral and reef fish in the Red Sea near Sharm el-Sheikh.
Red Sea coral reef · Egypt Image: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lead Records

Marine geography anchors

Reef records should stay geographic: shelf position, chain extent, barrier form, lagoon structure, and linked coastal setting.

Image credit
Eastern Brazilian Shelf Bank

Abrolhos Bank

A broad continental-shelf record centered on paired reef arcs, long shelf channels, column-shaped pinnacles, rocky islands, carbonate terrain, and Brazil Current exchange.

Image credit
Southwestern Indian Ocean Raised Atoll

Aldabra Atoll Reefs

A raised-atoll record centered on four limestone islands, a shallow tidal lagoon, karst relief, reef flats, narrow passes, steep oceanic slopes, and the South Equatorial Current.

Image credit
Equatorial Atlantic Shelf

Amazon Reef

A plume-influenced outer-shelf reef record centered on mesophotic carbonate relief, Amazon River discharge, sediment gradients, and current flow.

Image credit
Bahamian Bank Record

Andros Barrier Reef

A Bahamian bank-margin reef record centered on the Tongue of the Ocean, reef-wall relief, blue-hole karst, and storm exposure.

Image credit
Mindoro Strait Atoll Record

Apo Reef

A Philippine atoll-like reef record centered on Mindoro Strait setting, lagoon platforms, low islands, marine passes, and monsoon exposure.

Image credit
Sahul Shelf-Edge Platform Reef

Ashmore Reef

An outer Sahul Shelf record centered on a broad platform reef, contrasting eastern and western lagoons, low sand cays, tidal exchange, monsoon exposure, and deeper-water connections.

Image credit
Mexican Caribbean Platform Reef

Banco Chinchorro

An atoll-shaped platform record centered on a north–south lagoon-depth gradient, windward reef rim, broken leeward margin, low cayes, and steep Caribbean slopes.

Image credit
Caribbean Reef Record

Belize Barrier Reef

A barrier reef and shelf-lagoon record centered on cayes, offshore atolls, Caribbean water exchange, and coastal links.

Image credit
Southern Caribbean Record

Bonaire Reef

A Leeward Antilles fringing-reef record centered on narrow island shelves, steep fore-reef relief, limestone terraces, trade winds, and deep Caribbean connections.

Image credit
Southwest Tobago Fringing-Reef System

Buccoo Reef

A Tobago reef-and-lagoon record centered on five reef flats, carbonate-platform relief, sandy channels, tidal flushing, trade winds, and southern Caribbean water.

Image credit
Central Indian Ocean Atolls

Chagos Archipelago Reefs

An oceanic atoll-and-bank record centered on submarine-ridge foundations, reef rims, lagoons, low islands, deep-water relief, and equatorial circulation.

Image credit
Eastern Indian Ocean Paired Atolls

Cocos Keeling Coral Reefs

A paired-atoll record centered on a broad southern lagoon, enclosed North Keeling lagoon, low coral islands, steep seamount foundations, and tropical Indian Ocean circulation.

Image credit
Central Coral Sea Platform Reefs

Coringa-Herald Reefs

A Queensland Plateau reef-group record centered on three detached platform systems, six coral cays, shallow flats, drowned banks, oceanic circulation, and tropical wind controls.

Image credit
Northern Tasman Sea Platform Reefs

Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs

A paired open-ocean reef record centered on two seamount platforms, reticulated lagoons, almost no lasting dry land, steep basin relief, tidal exchange, and subtropical current controls.

Image credit
Southwest Pacific Reef Province

Fiji Coral Reefs

A volcanic-island reef record centered on fringing and barrier reefs, shelf lagoons, deep passages, high-island runoff, trade winds, and southwest Pacific links.

Image credit
Atlantic Shelf Record

Florida Reef

A Florida Keys reef tract record centered on outer reefs, Hawk Channel, carbonate-platform relief, warm currents, and storm exposure.

Image credit
Northwestern Gulf Shelf-Edge Banks

Flower Garden Banks

A submerged bank system centered on salt-dome relief, isolated reef caps, deep intervening seafloor, Gulf circulation, winter fronts, and hurricane exposure.

Image credit
Belizean Offshore Atoll

Glover's Reef

An offshore atoll record centered on an oval reef rim, deep patch-reef lagoon, three exchange channels, low carbonate cayes, and steep Caribbean slopes.

Image credit
Kadavu Barrier Reef System

Great Astrolabe Reef

A southern Fiji reef record centered on ribbon barriers, a volcanic-island lagoon, reef passages, steep ridge-to-basin relief, trade winds, and open-ocean exchange.

Image credit
Central Indian Ocean Bank

Great Chagos Bank

A mostly submerged atoll record centered on its broken reef rim, broad lagoon platform, low coral islands, steep oceanic slopes, and monsoon-influenced circulation.

Image credit
Northwest Australian Reef Province

Kimberley Reefs

A regional reef record centered on tidal platforms, drowned sandstone relief, coastal turbidity, offshore atolls, monsoon runoff, and North West Shelf connections.

Image credit
Arabian Sea Atoll Chain

Lakshadweep Coral Reefs

An oceanic atoll-and-bank record centered on shallow western lagoons, eastern reef islands, steep ridge relief, monsoon waves, and northern Indian Ocean connections.

Image credit
Belizean Offshore Atoll

Lighthouse Reef

An outer Caribbean atoll record centered on a divided shallow lagoon, middle-reef chain, low carbonate cayes, leeward passages, and the Great Blue Hole.

Image credit
Indian Ocean Atoll Chain

Maldives Coral Reefs

An oceanic atoll-chain record centered on ridge setting, reef rims, deep lagoons, low coral islands, monsoon circulation, and equatorial Indian Ocean links.

Image credit
Caribbean Reef Province

Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

A western Caribbean reef province record centered on barrier segments, shelf lagoons, cayes, currents, runoff, and Central American coastal links.

Image credit
Western Australia Fringing Reef

Ningaloo Reef

A nearshore reef record centered on lagoon form, Cape Range, narrow-shelf relief, arid drainage, and eastern Indian Ocean currents.

Image credit
Coral Sea Submerged Atoll

Osprey Reef

A northern Queensland Plateau record centered on a near-continuous submerged rim, deep sandy lagoon, single main outlet, steep outer walls, trade-wind exposure, and Coral Sea circulation.

Image credit
Western Pacific Barrier Reef

Palau Barrier Reef

A western Pacific island-platform record centered on a barrier rim, lagoon shelves, reef passes, mixed volcanic and limestone relief, steep outer slopes, and monsoon circulation.

Image credit
Southwest Florida Outer-Shelf Ridge

Pulley Ridge

A mesophotic reef record centered on a drowned barrier-island ridge, outer-platform relief, Loop Current exchange, low-light depth, and Dry Tortugas links.

Image credit
Eastern Indonesian Reef Province

Raja Ampat Reefs

An archipelagic reef record centered on island-shelf structure, limestone karst, straits, equatorial rainfall, and western New Guinea links.

Image credit
Marine Shelf Record

Red Sea Coral Reef

A reef record centered on fringing reef shelves, rift-basin margins, arid coasts, and restricted sea exchange.

Image credit
Western Australian Shelf Atolls

Rowley Shoals

An outer North West Shelf record centered on three annular reefs, contrasting lagoons, eastern passages, steep platform flanks, tidal exchange, and Indian Ocean exposure.

Image credit
Central Mascarene Plateau Bank

Saya de Malha Bank

A wholly submerged carbonate-bank record centered on its ring reef, shallow and deep lagoons, limestone platform, steep oceanic flanks, and current-driven mixing.

Image credit
Northwest Australian Paired Atolls

Scott Reef

An outer-margin reef record centered on two adjacent atolls, shallow and deep lagoons, a steep separating channel, minimal dry land, tidal exchange, and Indian Ocean circulation.

Image credit
Western Indian Ocean Reef Province

Seychelles Coral Reefs

A bank-and-atoll reef record centered on granitic inner islands, coralline outer groups, reef flats, lagoons, deep-water margins, and monsoon circulation.

Image credit
Maputaland Shelf Reefs

Sodwana Bay Reefs

A southwestern Indian Ocean record centered on coral-covered beachrock and aeolianite, a narrow canyon-cut shelf, coastal dunes, Agulhas Current flow, and seasonal upwelling.

Image credit
Tomini Gulf Archipelagic Reefs

Togian Islands Reefs

An enclosed-gulf reef record centered on fringing, barrier, patch, and atoll forms, shallow platform relief, volcanic and limestone foundations, reef passes, and monsoon shelter.

Image credit
Sulu Sea Atoll Record

Tubbataha Reefs

A Philippine atoll reef record centered on Sulu Sea basin setting, reef flats, lagoons, steep walls, monsoon exposure, and Palawan links.

Thumbnail image credits 40 sources

Images are stored locally or hosted by the credited provider. Creator, source, and usage details for each centre-cropped thumbnail are listed below.

  1. Abrolhos Bank — Gustavo Abrahim, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  2. Aldabra Atoll Reefs — NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using USGS Landsat data, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  3. Amazon Reef — Philip Terry Graham, CC0. Centre-cropped for display.
  4. Andros Barrier Reef — Rs3 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  5. Apo Reef — Tomacruz at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  6. Ashmore Reef — Wikimedia Commons contributor, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  7. Banco Chinchorro — Sentinel Hub / Monja Šebela, CC BY 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  8. Belize Barrier Reef — MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  9. Bonaire Reef — Michal Strzelecki, Wojtek Strzelecki & Jerzy Strzelecki, CC BY 3.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  10. Buccoo Reef — Reinhard Jahn (nanosmile), CC BY 2.0 DE. Centre-cropped for display.
  11. Chagos Archipelago Reefs — NOAA, adapted by user Ratzer, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  12. Cocos Keeling Coral Reefs — NASA Earth Observatory, CC BY 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  13. Coringa-Herald Reefs — Gsh1967, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  14. Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs — Antonia Cooper / Parks Australia / Reef Life Survey, CC BY 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  15. Fiji Coral Reefs — Rickard Törnblad, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  16. Florida Reef — NOAA National Marine Fisheries Servie, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  17. Flower Garden Banks — NOAA, National Marine Sanctuaries, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  18. Glover's Reef — Kimon Berlin, CC BY-SA 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  19. Great Astrolabe Reef — Duncan Wright, GNU FDL 1.2. Centre-cropped for display.
  20. Great Barrier Reef — NASA/Kjell Lindgren, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  21. Great Chagos Bank — Mohonu at en.wikipedia, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  22. Kimberley Reefs — Envisat satellite, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. Centre-cropped for display.
  23. Lakshadweep Coral Reefs — NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  24. Lighthouse Reef — NASA Earth Observatory / Jesse Allen, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  25. Maldives Coral Reefs — Bruno de Giusti, CC BY-SA 2.5 it. Centre-cropped for display.
  26. Mesoamerican Barrier Reef — Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, CC BY 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  27. New Caledonia Barrier Reef — the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus on NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite, Jesse Allen, Michon Scott., Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  28. Ningaloo Reef — Eugene Regis, CC BY 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  29. Osprey Reef — Richard Ling, CC BY-SA 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  30. Palau Barrier Reef — Matt Kieffer from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  31. Pulley Ridge — John Reed / NOAA, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  32. Raja Ampat Reefs — Rizalubun, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  33. Red Sea Coral Reef — Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  34. Rowley Shoals — NASA-JSC, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  35. Saya de Malha Bank — Mohonu, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  36. Scott Reef — NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  37. Seychelles Coral Reefs — NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey, Public domain. Centre-cropped for display.
  38. Sodwana Bay Reefs — Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  39. Togian Islands Reefs — Arian Zwegers, CC BY 2.0. Centre-cropped for display.
  40. Tubbataha Reefs — Anna Varona, CC BY 4.0. Centre-cropped for display.