| environ. |
barrier reef An elongated accumulation of coral lying at low-tide level parallel to the coast but separated from it by a wide and deep lagoon or strait. The coral is thought to have formed initially on a flat surface: then as the sea-level rose in post-glacial times, thereby submerging the irregular wave-cut platform, the coral growth kept pace with the rising ocean level, so creating the great thickness witnessed today in such places as the Great Barrier Reef off the East coast of Queensland, Australia. This stretches for more than 1900 km and varies in width from about 30 km to 150 km (位于低潮水面的珊瑚堆积物，平行于海岸线且被又宽又深的泻湖或海峡分开。 珊瑚被认为最初在平面上形成：然后随着冰河期海平面的上升，不规则的波浪冲刷成的平台被淹没，珊瑚的生长和海平面的上升同步，因此造成了今天所看到的巨大的珊瑚礁，像澳大利亚昆士兰州东海岸线大堡礁。 它延伸了1900多公里，宽度从30公里到150公里不等。) |
