A coral reef usually evokes an underwater world. In Aldabra, much of the island’s soil is made up of ancient reefs that have now emerged. In the open air, therefore, is a matter whose history began in a marine environment.
UNESCO presents this set of Seychelles as an elevated coral atoll. Four main coral limestone islands surround a shallow lagoon, connected to the ocean by passes. There are other small islands in the lagoon. An external reef completes this interlocking of land and water, far from the image of a simple crown perfectly regular.
These different forms provide distinct terrestrial and marine habitats. The atoll is home to a large population of giant turtles. What is surprising is not only the presence of animals on an ancient reef. It is the superposition of stories: a support built in the sea has become a soil, while another coral world continues to live around it.
What we know
Ancient reef emerged; no living terrestrial corals nor actual actual invented.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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