# data[].attributes.body
- Form in clear, warm coastal waters of the tropics and subtropics
- Form in waters from surface to about 150 ft in order to still get the sunlight needed for survival
- Three types of reefs include fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and atolls
- Fringing reefs are seen on the shorelines of continents and islands such as in Hawaii and the Caribbean
- Barrier reefs are farther offshore, mostly in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean
- Atolls are a series of low coral islands surrounding a central lagoon, often found in the Indo-Pacific

# data[].attributes.body
-Barrier Islands are low narrow sandy islands that are off the shore by the coastline.
- Most run parallel to the shore.
- Locations are located on most of North America's Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.

# data[].attributes.body
- Ecologically complex
- Vulnerable to damage as they grow slowly and are disrupted easily
- Thrive only in clear, warm, and fairly shallow water of constant salinity (salts dissolved in water)
- Corals only live in water with a temperature of 64-86 degrees F
- Coral reefs make up about 1% of the ocean floor, but they house nearly 25% of life in the ocean

# data[].attributes.body
- The islands can protect the mainland, estuaries and coastal wetlands from waves that approach the mainland.
- Prime location for real estate.
-Twenty five percent of land has been developed in the United States.
- Developers have ruined the natural dunes for infrastructure and storms cause more damage without the natural barrier.
- The location is threatened by flooding.
- In constant erosion with sand constantly being moved.
- Undisturbed beaches have natural sand dune rows that are held in place by grass roots.

# data[].attributes.body
- Biodiversity of coral reefs can be reduced by natural disturbances such as severe storms, fresh-water floods, and invasions of predatory fish
- Sea urchins, sponges, shrimp, octopus, and snails
- Plant Plankton (phytoplankton), algae, sea grass, conch
- Corals, themselves, are the most abundant animal on the reef
- Worms, fish, sharks, rays, and lobsters

# data[].attributes.body
- Plants may be Kirk's Daisy's, Pimelea Tomentosa, tree daisy, hebe, kelp and Sand Tussock.
- Animals include Hochstetter's Frog, sea star, hermit crab, shore crab, sea urchin, monterey flatworm, mussel, sculpin, silverside fish, peanut worm, beach flea, tiger beetle, mole shrimp, ghost shrimp, blue crab, dwarf olive, moon snail, sandpiper, clams, sea turtles and Chevron Skink Lizard.

# data[].attributes.body
Formation.

# data[].attributes.body
-Both the barrier islands and the coral reefs possess trophic levels with decomposers, producers and consumers.
- Both have water is some capacity that has guided the formation of the ecosystem surrounding these environments
-Animals and plants are similar and many of the same species live in both areas.