Correct option is A
Introduction
An
Atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets that nearly or entirely encloses a body of water called a lagoon.
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Location: They are typically found in
tropical oceans.
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Elevation: The coral islands (islets) on the reef ring are naturally
low-lying.
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Brackish Water: The enclosed lagoon's water is often
brackish (a mix of salt and fresh water) due to rainfall and limited exchange with the open sea.
Information Booster
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Structure: A ring-shaped coral reef enclosing a lagoon.
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Formation: They are formed when a fringing or barrier reef continues to grow upward around a volcanic island that has subsided and disappeared below sea level.
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Water Type: The enclosed lagoon contains
brackish water, which is a mixture of saltwater and freshwater.
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Height: The islands formed on the reef are very
low-lying.
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Ecosystem: Atolls support a unique marine and terrestrial ecosystem adapted to the shallow and brackish environment.
Additional Points
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Oceanic Ridge: A continuous, underwater mountain range in the ocean basins, not a low island with brackish water.
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Guyot: A flat-topped seamount (underwater mountain); it is entirely submerged, not a low island.
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Seamount: An underwater mountain rising from the ocean floor that does not reach the water's surface; it is entirely submerged, not an island.