<P> Reef - building corals will thrive only in warm tropical and subtropical waters of oceans and seas, and therefore atolls are only found in the tropics and subtropics . The northernmost atoll of the world is Kure Atoll at 28 ° 24 ′ N, along with other atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands . The southernmost atolls of the world are Elizabeth Reef at 29 ° 58 ′ S, and nearby Middleton Reef at 29 ° 29 ′ S, in the Tasman Sea, both of which are part of the Coral Sea Islands Territory . The next southerly atoll is Ducie Island in the Pitcairn Islands Group, at 24 ° 40 ′ S. Bermuda is sometimes claimed as the "northernmost atoll" at a latitude of 32 ° 24 ′ N. At this latitude coral reefs would not develop without the warming waters of the Gulf Stream . However, Bermuda is termed a pseudo-atoll because its general form, while resembling that of an atoll, has a very different mode of formation . While there is no atoll directly on the equator, the closest atoll to the Equator is Aranuka of Kiribati, with its southern tip just 12 km north of the equator . </P> <Table> Largest atolls by total area (lagoon plus reef and dry land) <Tr> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Position </Th> <Th> Location </Th> <Th> Area (km2) </Th> <Th> Remarks </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Great Chagos Bank </Td> <Td> 6 ° 10 ′ S 72 ° 00 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 6.17 ° S 72.00 ° E ﻿ / - 6.17; 72.00 </Td> <Td> Indian Ocean </Td> <Td> 12,642 </Td> <Td> Land area 4.5 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Reed Bank </Td> <Td> 11 ° 27 ′ N 116 ° 54 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 11.45 ° N 116.90 ° E ﻿ / 11.45; 116.90 </Td> <Td> Spratly Islands </Td> <Td> 8,866 </Td> <Td> Submerged, at shallowest 9 m </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Macclesfield Bank </Td> <Td> 16 ° 00 ′ N 114 ° 30 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 16.00 ° N 114.50 ° E ﻿ / 16.00; 114.50 </Td> <Td> South China Sea </Td> <Td> 6,448 </Td> <Td> Submerged, at shallowest 9.2 m </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> North Bank (Ritchie Bank, north of Saya de Malha Bank) </Td> <Td> 9 ° 04 ′ S 60 ° 12 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 9.07 ° S 60.20 ° E ﻿ / - 9.07; 60.20 </Td> <Td> North of Saya de Malha Bank </Td> <Td> 5,800 </Td> <Td> Submerged, at shallowest <10 m </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Rosalind Bank </Td> <Td> 16 ° 26 ′ N 80 ° 31 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 16.43 ° N 80.52 ° W ﻿ / 16.43; - 80.52 </Td> <Td> Caribbean </Td> <Td> 4,500 </Td> <Td> Submerged, at shallowest 7.3 m </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Boduthiladhunmathi (Thiladhunmathi - Miladhunmadulu) Atoll </Td> <Td> 6 ° 44 ′ N 73 ° 02 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 6.73 ° N 73.04 ° E ﻿ / 6.73; 73.04 </Td> <Td> Maldives </Td> <Td> 3,850 </Td> <Td> Two names, but a single atoll structure; land area 51 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Chesterfield Islands </Td> <Td> 19 ° 21 ′ S 158 ° 40 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 19.35 ° S 158.66 ° E ﻿ / - 19.35; 158.66 </Td> <Td> New Caledonia </Td> <Td> 3,500 </Td> <Td> Land area <10 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Huvadhu Atoll </Td> <Td> 0 ° 30 ′ N 73 ° 18 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 0.50 ° N 73.30 ° E ﻿ / 0.50; 73.30 </Td> <Td> Maldives </Td> <Td> 3,152 </Td> <Td> Land area 38.5 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Truk Lagoon </Td> <Td> 7 ° 25 ′ N 151 ° 47 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 7.42 ° N 151.78 ° E ﻿ / 7.42; 151.78 </Td> <Td> Chuuk, FSA </Td> <Td> 3,152 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sabalana Islands </Td> <Td> 6 ° 45 ′ S 118 ° 50 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 6.75 ° S 118.83 ° E ﻿ / - 6.75; 118.83 </Td> <Td> Indonesia </Td> <Td> 2,694 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Nukuoro atoll </Td> <Td> 3 ° 51 ′ N 154 ° 56 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 3.85 ° N 154.94 ° E ﻿ / 3.85; 154.94 </Td> <Td> FSA </Td> <Td> 40 </Td> <Td> Land area 1.7 km2, divided among more than 40 islets that lie on the northern, eastern and southern sides of the lagoon </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lihou Reef </Td> <Td> 17 ° 25 ′ S 151 ° 40 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 17.42 ° S 151.67 ° E ﻿ / - 17.42; 151.67 </Td> <Td> Coral Sea </Td> <Td> 2,529 </Td> <Td> Land area 1 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bassas de Pedro </Td> <Td> 13 ° 05 ′ N 72 ° 25 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 13.08 ° N 72.42 ° E ﻿ / 13.08; 72.42 </Td> <Td> Lakshadweep, India </Td> <Td> 2,474.33 </Td> <Td> Submerged, at shallowest 16.4 m </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ardasier Bank </Td> <Td> 7 ° 43 ′ N 114 ° 15 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 7.71 ° N 114.25 ° E ﻿ / 7.71; 114.25 </Td> <Td> Spratly Islands </Td> <Td> 2,347 </Td> <Td> Cay on the south side? </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kwajalein </Td> <Td> 9 ° 11 ′ N 167 ° 28 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 9.19 ° N 167.47 ° E ﻿ / 9.19; 167.47 </Td> <Td> Marshall Islands </Td> <Td> 2,304 </Td> <Td> Land area 16.4 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Diamond Islets Bank </Td> <Td> 17 ° 25 ′ S 150 ° 58 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 17.42 ° S 150.96 ° E ﻿ / - 17.42; 150.96 </Td> <Td> Coral Sea </Td> <Td> 2,282 </Td> <Td> Land area <1 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Namonuito Atoll </Td> <Td> 8 ° 40 ′ N 150 ° 00 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 8.67 ° N 150.00 ° E ﻿ / 8.67; 150.00 </Td> <Td> Chuuk, FSA </Td> <Td> 2,267 </Td> <Td> Land area 4.4 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ari Atoll </Td> <Td> 3 ° 52 ′ N 72 ° 50 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 3.86 ° N 72.83 ° E ﻿ / 3.86; 72.83 </Td> <Td> Maldives </Td> <Td> 2,252 </Td> <Td> Land area 69 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Maro Reef </Td> <Td> 25 ° 25 ′ N 170 ° 35 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 25.42 ° N 170.59 ° W ﻿ / 25.42; - 170.59 </Td> <Td> Northwestern Hawaiian Islands </Td> <Td> 1,934 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Rangiroa </Td> <Td> 15 ° 08 ′ S 147 ° 39 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 15.13 ° S 147.65 ° W ﻿ / - 15.13; - 147.65 </Td> <Td> Tuamotu Islands </Td> <Td> 1,762 </Td> <Td> Land area 79 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kolhumadulhu Atoll </Td> <Td> 2 ° 22 ′ N 73 ° 07 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 2.37 ° N 73.12 ° E ﻿ / 2.37; 73.12 </Td> <Td> Maldives </Td> <Td> 1,617 </Td> <Td> Land area 79 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kaafu Atoll (North Malé Atoll) </Td> <Td> 4 ° 25 ′ N 73 ° 30 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 4.42 ° N 73.50 ° E ﻿ / 4.42; 73.50 </Td> <Td> Maldives </Td> <Td> 1,565 </Td> <Td> Land area 69 km2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ontong Java </Td> <Td> 5 ° 16 ′ S 159 ° 21 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 5.27 ° S 159.35 ° E ﻿ / - 5.27; 159.35 </Td> <Td> Solomon Islands </Td> <Td> 1500 </Td> <Td> Land area 12 km2 </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Position </Th> <Th> Location </Th> <Th> Area (km2) </Th> <Th> Remarks </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Great Chagos Bank </Td> <Td> 6 ° 10 ′ S 72 ° 00 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 6.17 ° S 72.00 ° E ﻿ / - 6.17; 72.00 </Td> <Td> Indian Ocean </Td> <Td> 12,642 </Td> <Td> Land area 4.5 km2 </Td> </Tr>

Small coral atolls and reefs in arabian sea