barrier reef
noun
: a coral reef roughly parallel to a shore and separated from it usually by a lagoon
Examples of barrier reef in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, home to more than 6,000 wildlife species like whales, dolphins and manatees — plus the world's third-largest barrier reef — protects the water surrounding the islands.
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Catherine Garcia, theweek, 5 Mar. 2024
The impressive ecosystem is the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere and home to a variety of wildlife: seahorses, spotted eagle rays, sea turtles, manatees, and more.
—Jessica Poitevien, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2023
The two of them share a lagoon and are encircled by one barrier reef.
—Maggie Shipstead, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2023
Cozumel is perched at the northern tip of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System — the second-largest barrier reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barrier reef 
Catherine Garcia, theweek, 5 Mar. 2024
The impressive ecosystem is the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere and home to a variety of wildlife: seahorses, spotted eagle rays, sea turtles, manatees, and more.
—Jessica Poitevien, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2023
The two of them share a lagoon and are encircled by one barrier reef.
—Maggie Shipstead, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2023
Cozumel is perched at the northern tip of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System — the second-largest barrier reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barrier reef
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barrier reef.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Barrier reef.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barrier%20reef. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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