Definition and Introduction
Classification proposed by Darwin (1842) recognizes three classes, namely, fringing, barrier, or atoll ignores the multitude and diversity of those continental shelf reefs, which fall between the fringing reefs and the outer barrier reefs near the shelf edge.
Fairbridge (1950, 1967) attempted a genetic classification of these shelf reefs, which would normally fall within the barrier reef type of Darwin (Hopley, 1982).
Maxwell (1968) attempted to elaborate further on the Fairbridge classification scheme, and both believed that they could observe graduational patterns “that lend support to the view that they represent various stages in reef development” (Maxwell, 1968). As Hopley (1982) points out, the classifications were “based on organic and sedimentary growth in response to prevailing wind and wave conditions during a single period of relatively stable eustatic sea level,” and the reefs had developed exclusively during the Holocene. There was appreciation...
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Bibliography
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Flood, P. (2011). Reef Classification by Maxwell (1968). In: Hopley, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Modern Coral Reefs. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2639-2_133
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2639-2_133
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