
Nearly the entire rim of the Pacific Ocean basin is ringed with volcanoes and earthquake areas, which have helped to develop islands and coral reefs that provide an incredibly diverse array of habitat types for many species. Island habitats include rocky cliffs, rivers, wetlands, and mountain forests. Coral reef habitats form around these islands when free-swimming coral larvae attach to the submerged edges of islands. Developed coral reefs provide a dazzling underwater landscape that hosts many types of species, including fish and sea turtles. Together, this array of habitats, from underwater coral reefs, to sandy, low lying beaches and mountain rainforests, is home to a list of species as varied as the landscapes they inhabit. Species that call these habitats home include birds such as shearwaters, petrels, and boobies, as well as fish such as sharks, bony fish, and rays.