Cays+2

A **__cay__** is a small, low-landed, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in warm environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, where they provide livable land and food and water for hundreds of people. Their surrounding reef ecosystems also provide food and building materials for people on the island. **__Formation__** Cays are formed when ocean currents transport loose sediment (remains of coral and animals) across the surface of a reef to a place in the ocean with high coral fields and banks. This results in a cay made up almost entirely of the skeletal remains of plants and animals sourced from the surrounding reef ecosystems.
 * __CAYS__**

**__Development and Stability__** A whole range of physical, biological and chemical influences determines the ongoing development or erosion of cay environments. These influences include: changes in ocean waves, currents, tides, sea levels and weather conditions, and the shape of the orginal reef. **__Examples__**
 * Heron Island, a coral cay on the southern Great Barrier Reef
 * The Exuma Cays, part of the Bahamas
 * Tobago Cays Beach

=By Jacob and Emily=