Patch Coral Reef (Geoform Type)

Component: Geoform

Unique Identifier: 208

Geoform Origin	Biogenic
Geoform	Shallow/Mesophotic Coral Reef
Geoform Type	Patch Coral Reef

Description

Definition

Individual patch coral reefs are coral formations with circular or oblong shapes and vertical reliefs of one meter or more in relation to the surrounding seafloor. These reefs are isolated from other coral reef formations by bare sand, seagrass, rhodoliths, or other habitats—and have no organized structural axis relative to the contours of the insular shelf edge (Zitello et al. 2009).