Talk:Atoll

[Untitled]
Don't know about plagiarism but it lacks a real description of a typical atoll itself, such as the presence of a fresh water lens floating in the permeable coral material above sea level. Significant to human habitation. Lukunor 00:27, 11 December 2013 (UTC)

What is the deal with the first bit of this page? This is absolutely NOT right and makes no sense at all.

"An atoll is an cat of coral that runs around wildly a lagoon partially or completely."

I don't know much about atolls, which is why I was looking at this page, could somebody who knows about this sort of thing fix this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.21.55.93 (talk) 04:37, 9 December 2009 (UTC)


 * Are you talking about pictorial plagiarism? This article is one of the one(s) that should not be confused with the OT story of Noah and his Ark, nor any of the historically accurate points along the evolutionary time line of today's human beings AND it is one of the one(s) not to be confused with this article NOT because it requires your interpretation of biblical stories such as Adam and Eve to be read as the appearance of an organism that reproduces sexually (ie the appearance of a species divided into genders as opposed to the first appearance of gendered Human) but rather the not to be confused warning is due to the visual semblance of atoll forming to the evolutionary event of eukaroytic cells begatting it's organelles (such as the currently recognized mitochrondria.) I am not sure there is a fix for your problems, other than a yet-to-live red-lettered link to a specific interpretation of a synopsis to the Noah's Ark story with which this article is not to be, confused with. -Dirtclustit (talk) 18:48, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Bikini Atoll
is the famous bikini atoll a coral atoll? If it is, perhaps mention it

This page has a great deal of text that appears to be extensively (if not entirely) plagerized from some old textbook (the style is very olde English). Beyond the section describing (in some places incorrectly) the relationship between volcanoes and atolls, the next two sections on volcanoes and diatoms bear NO relationship to the subject of atolls. I suggest complete removal of the page (owing to lack of attribution), returning to the earliest, single line definition to refleshed from there. Marshman 02:25 26 Jul 2003 (UTC)

I've since replaced the old plagerized stuff with new content to cover the subject Marshman 17:41 28 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Marshman, you have done good job on the article, it is certainly an improvement over what was orginally here. I just have a query about the statement that atolls are limited to the oceanic basins of the Pacific and Indian oceans. I thought they could also be found in the Atlantic ocean such as Rocas Atoll of the coast of Brazil. -- Popsracer 00:08 29 Jul 2003 (UTC)

I am starting a new paragraph on atoll distribution and admit to being a bit out on a limb there. I woulld want to know more about Rocas Atoll and perhaps a few others associated with the Great Barrier Reef before proceeding down the interesting road of the relationship between atolls and oceanic hot-spots. Any help appreciated. Your catches on my contribution have been right on. Marshman 00:49, 29 Jul 2003 (UTC) I found some papers on Rocas Atoll and others in the Atlantic. These are not without controversy about whether or not true atolls, but a good case can be made. I'll work something up 24.94.86.252 02:58, 29 Jul 2003 (UTC)...That's me, my log-in timed-out I guess Marshman 03:00, 29 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Some contributors are wandering off the subject, or are not aware of the definition of an atoll. The amount of land area is not pertinent. Indeed, Christmas Atoll has the largest land area of any atoll, and that fact makes it less of a true atoll than atolls with very little land above sea level. There are no or perhaps only one or two true atolls in the Atlantic. This fact is widely debated. A few islands appear close to being atolls, and some scientists accept them as such. Bermuda is not one of these. Submerged banks are somewhat of a problem because they deviate from the ideal form, but if their mode of formation is correct as per Darwin, then these are either atolls or submerged atolls. - Marshman 04:54, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The confusion about largest this and largest that results because someone missed a critical point in the definitions: the size of an atoll is the sum of its reef and lagoon areas (not lagoon and "land" areas). Land on atolls is material thrown by waves onto the reef, and therefore typically counted as part of reef area. Knowing land area (important obviously to human inhabitants) is of no value in these calculations. However a large lagoon, because it is typically surrounded by a reef, does indicate a large atoll. - Marshman 18:05, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Coral island
What is the difference between coral island and atoll? -Indolences 18:01, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Northernmost atoll & strict definitions
Several authorities on the Florida Keys claim that Marquesas Key between Key West and the Dry Tortugas is the Northernmost atoll. See, for example, http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/factshts/047-02.pdf ("Marquesas Atoll") Verify?

Also, do prehistoric meteor strikes ever qualify as atolls, or is an atoll strictly a volcanic/erosion formation? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 65.216.235.42 (talk) 17:18, 5 April 2007 (UTC). No, they don't Atolls are erosion on volcanic islands, well as the article explains. Feel free to make an account, just click the link and get started! Also wikipedia has a place for questions but its not talk pages like this. Reedman72 04:08, 5 April 2014 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Reedman72 (talk • contribs)

Largest Atolls by total size
I tried to list the largest atolls by total area, including the submerged ones (their inclusion may be a matter of dispute, though). Most of the size information is from, and I tried to complete the list of the largest atolls from other sources. From, I did not use the Amirantes Bank (3951 km²), which is obviously not an atoll, but has atolls on it. I am not certain about the atoll status of all entries in the list. If you are certain that one or another is not an atoll in the geomorphological sense at any stage of development, please explain (if possible with sources) and delete the entry.--Ratzer 09:02, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Caicos Islands?
Are the Caicos Island an atoll by any chance? The spatial arrangement of the islands would suggest it (large islands along the northern rim, and smaller islets and reefs in the south). It would be the largest atoll of the world, measured by land size, and among the 10 largest by total size.--Ratzer 13:34, 18 May 2007 (UTC)
 * What do you mean by "measured by land size, and among the 10 largest by total size"? I just checked and Kiritimati is bigger than these islands. -Indolences 13:56, 18 May 2007 (UTC)
 * I also checked. About Kiritimati, widely differing land area figures are in circulation, one of about 388 km², and another of 642 km², as I found out just now. Judging from satellite images, the lower figure seems more plausible. For the Caicos Islands, I put a well researched land area figure of 589.5 km² in the article.--Ratzer 19:54, 18 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Source? -Indolences 20:15, 18 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Source: (I should have put this one as a reference in the article, and I shall still do it), plus some searching on maps and in gazetteers (among them ) which islands belong to the Turks Islands and which ones to the Caicos Islands.--Ratzer 21:41, 18 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Wait this isn't just one big island? Otherwise it doesn't count. -Indolences 18:00, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Aldabra is also not just one big island, but four big islands. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that Aldabra is an atoll.--Ratzer 10:04, 15 August 2007 (UTC)

The first picture on the article is not a good example of an atoll. To someone not familiar with reefs they may get it confused with a fringing reef and not portion of an atoll.Why not just put a picture of a full view of an atoll. The biddler 22:14, 12 September 2007 (UTC)ThebiddlerThe biddler 22:14, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

Atoll island formation
This article describes how a volcanic island subsides and coral reefs form to just under the water surface (barrier reef stage) but it doesn't really describe how the islands form. What is the incentive for the coral to grow above the water? Does there have to be a sea-level change large enough that the exposed coral can accumulate wind-borne sediment and bird detritus? Would that change have to be large enough that the nascent island wouldn't be swept clean by storm surges? Some details on this would be very useful! Franamax (talk) 18:46, 12 October 2008 (UTC)

Opposite question (maybe) inspired by the case of Tuvalu vs. Global Warming, were rising sea level is destroying life on the atoll: how can one tell whether it is the sea level that is rising or if the atoll is subsiding (or both)? --WikestLink (talk) 16:22, 13 November 2008 (UTC)

Fishing industry in the Maldives has a very nice section on atoll formation would be great here.205.200.169.138 (talk) 16:39, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

Formation
I find the explanation of atoll formation wanting. The graphic shows the centre of a volcanic island "subsiding", while the outside remains virtually unaffacted. What geological process could cause that to happen? That part seems not to be explained. 86.152.243.81 (talk) 13:56, 10 April 2010 (UTC)
 * In the text, it is explained that atolls form when the rate that the island is sinking is less than the rate of growth in the coral ring around the island. Is the text unclear? --Danger (talk) 15:45, 10 April 2010 (UTC)
 * My point is that the graphic does not show the island sinking uniformly. It shows the centre collapsing but the sides, to which the ring of coral is anchored, remaining roughly at the same level. I can't see it explained anywhere how or why that should happen, and I'm afraid I don't understand how your reply addresses this question. 86.165.23.205 (talk) 02:14, 11 April 2010 (UTC).

To the author: The opening paragraph of the "Atoll" article indicates that the atoll ring forms above the rim of the caldera. In fact, the fringing reef begins to form on rock where the flank of the volcano meets the ocean (any of the young Hawaiian islands) and then builds upward upon itself as the island gradually sinks and/or erodes and/or sea rises (ie Kosrae w/narrow fringing reef and mangrove channels, then Pohnpei w/barrier reef & lagoon & extensive mangroves, then Chuuk w/barrier reef & lagoon and numerous small remnant volcanic islands left from the original massif). Coral can anchor itself better upon the hard surface of older coral reef than on the shifting sands drifting lagoon-side of the reef or on the volcanic sediments (mud) at the foot of old volcanic slopes. Also there was a recent publication pointing out that the whole thing is not a steady continuum as sometimes relative sea level rise exceeds the growth rate of the corals and there are fits, starts, stops, uplifts, and restarts. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ksfriday (talk • contribs) 05:30, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

"National Monuments"
This last section of the article mentions absolutely nothing about atolls and I deem it unnecessary. However when I tried to delete this irrelevant section, it was reverted back to the previous edit and I was given a message about vandalizing the article. So, can someone please impart on me the relevance of the last section(Nation Monuments), rewrite it to make sense, or delete it for me.

Thanks 134.71.148.189 (talk) 17:20, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

Formation: how can coral end up above sea level?
I ask the same question asked by Franamax in Oct 2008 without getting an answer: how can coral end up above sea water? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.33.80.7 (talk) 01:42, 19 March 2012 (UTC)
 * The live corals themselves can't grow above sea level, but wind and waves throw up debris (dead coral, shells, etc) over the reef. Eventually there is enough debris above sea level for vegetation to grow in it. Sea birds also bring in nutrients in the form of guano. The vegetation helps bind the land together. The island is never more than a few meters above sea level (unless sea level falls).86.144.114.34 (talk) 21:50, 8 July 2015 (UTC)

About the first sentence
"An atoll is a coral island (or islands) that encircles a lagoon partially or completely."

This definition is fundamentally wrong and completely contrast to modern definitions in Usage section. Basically, an atoll is no way a coral island but a kind of coral reef. The definition should be "Atoll is a kind of coral reef including a coral rim enclosing a lagoon.", not "an atoll is a coral island". Coral island(s) lies on the coral rim, hence it's a part of the whole atoll, not the atoll itself. Please review this. Autumnyear (talk) 03:35, 30 January 2013 (UTC)
 * So I have to correct this by myself. I have added two good sources to the all important first sentence since the old definition is fundamentally wrong when mixing the coral reef with islands built on it. Atoll is a kind of coral reef (the others are mainly barrier reef, fringing reef and table reef or patch reef). There may be coral islands (low and flat, in many case are cays) built on the coral reef, so islands are parts of the whole atoll, not the atoll itself. Autumnyear (talk) 14:26, 12 February 2013 (UTC)

About Distribution and size subsection
In this subsection one finds this verbiage stream: Atoll islands are low lying, with their elevations less than 5 meters (9).

What might be the meaning or purpose of the characters " (9)" ? It cannot be 5-meters converted to feet, because that would be 16-feet. The "9" cannot be reference #9, because that spreadsheet from The Geological Society of America does not provide any data on the "elevations" of atolls. If someone can provide a "units" for the "9", or a purpose, then I won't suggest we delete it. P.S.: I do not know how to determine quickly which user inserted the "(9)" in order to ask them 'why'. James Rodriguez 10:13, 24 May 2015 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jrodor (talk • contribs)

OK this "9" was fixed by user neodop on 23 May 2020, changed to 16-feet. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.37.20.83 (talk) 06:55, 18 January 2021 (UTC)

Double atoll
Can an atoll exist within another, larger atoll? If so, are there any examples? 32ieww (talk) 03:26, 4 January 2017 (UTC) 32ieww (talk) 03:26, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
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Digital files of citations / sources
Hi,

I have digital files that i can share of sources that I cited. Just contact me. Paul H. (talk) 03:04, 31 March 2021 (UTC)

The atoll nations
There is something I'd like to know which isn't found in this article. Perhaps if could be included. And this is; which nations depend entirely or almost entirely on atolls? I think including this information would emphasise the importance of atolls, in that some nations would never have existed without them. The Maldives, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, etc. Ypna (talk) 01:37, 11 September 2021 (UTC)

And additionally, languages, cultures, ethnicities, species, and subspecies, that would never have existed without their atolls. Ypna (talk) 20:19, 11 September 2021 (UTC)