Fringing reefs grow as living breakwaters that blunt storm waves
Fringing coral reefs cling close to shorelines, growing calcium carbonate frameworks that force incoming waves to break and lose energy offshore.
Healthy reefs can cut wave height dramatically across short distances, shielding mangroves, beaches, and coastal towns — a service that bleached or mined reefs forfeit.
Stone built by polyps is infrastructure. A living reef is coastal defense that grows, repairs, and feeds fish while it works.
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