Continental Shelf – Living Oceans Foundation

[kon-tn-en-tl shelf]
An area that gently slopes from continents (or around islands) and extends to the continental slope.

Glossary: Ribbon Reef
A long, narrow, and often winding reef that develops parallel to the continental shelf.
Glossary: Submarine Canyon
Deep, steep-sided valleys that cut into the sea floor starting from the continental shelf to deep ocean basins.
Glossary: Barrier Reef
A coral reef that is separated from shore by a lagoon. Typically, they grow along the outer edge of the continental shelf, running parallel to the shoreline. They are further off shore than fringing reefs.
Glossary: Continental Crust
A layer of crust that forms continents and extends all the way out to the continental shelf in the ocean.
Glossary: Continental Margin
An area that makes up the continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise.