Fringe or Barrier

[Anonymous]

If the fringe reef becomes a barrier reef in a gradual process (hundreds of years) there must be a time where the reef is not a fringe reef any more but has become an incipient barrier reef, at least in part of its extension.

Therefore my question is: what characteristic of the reef must be considered as definitive to designate the former fringe reef as a new barrier reef? the lagoon depth? the back reef slope? distance from land?

Thanks in advance.

Savaraya.


[This message has been edited by Savaraya (edited 24 March 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Savaraya (edited 24 March 2001).]

 

[Anonymous]

A good question that I have no idea of the answer. I would imagine its a somewhat subjective thing, and one example would be the bank reefs off the Florida coast. Classification of reef types is not always cut and dry in any event, and I wish I could provide a more definitive answer.

Eric