A coral island is a type of island formed from coral detritus and associated organic material. [1] It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas, typically as part of a coral reef which has grown to cover a far larger area under the sea. The term low island can be used to distinguish such islands from high islands, which are formed through volcanic action.[2] Low islands are formed as a result of sedimentation upon a coral reef or of the uplifting of such islands.
- ^ "coral island". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
- ^ Murphy, Raymond E. (July 1949). "'High' and 'Low' Islands in the Eastern Carolines". Geographical Review. 39 (3). doi:10.2307/210643. JSTOR 210643.