Caribbean Coral Islands: Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Caymans, Belize, and More

Coral islands (atolls, cays, barrier reefs) in the Caribbean are formed by living coral reefs accumulating calcium carbonate over millennia.

Primary Coral Island Groups

• The Bahamas — 700+ islands/cays on Little & Great Bahama Banks (carbonate platforms). Entire nation = coral islands.
• Turks & Caicos Islands (UK) — Caicos Bank & Turks Bank; Providenciales, Grand Turk, Salt Cay.
• Cayman Islands (UK) — Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac; fringing reefs, famous walls.
• Belize Barrier Reef — 300+ cayes (Ambergris, Caye Caulker, Glover's Reef atoll); UNESCO site.
• Jamaica (partial) — Offshore cays (Morant, Pedro); mainland is volcanic/limestone.
• Los Roques (Venezuela) — Archipelago of 350+ cays/atolls; national park.
• San Andrés & Providencia (Colombia) — Oceanic atolls in western Caribbean.
• Flower Garden Banks (USA, Gulf of Mexico) — Northernmost coral reefs; not strictly Caribbean but related.

Formation & Ecology

• Reef-building corals (Acropora, Orbicella, Diploria) secrete CaCO₃ skeletons.
• Storm rubble + sand → cays (vegetated) or motus (atoll islets).
• Biodiversity: 500+ fish species, 65 corals, turtles, sharks, seabirds.
• Threats: warming (bleaching), acidification, storms, overfishing, coastal development.

Not Coral Islands

Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Margarita — continental/volcanic origin (though have fringing reefs).