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How did melting ice sheets after the Pleistocene Epoch affect coral reefs?

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coral reef The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, is the world's largest coral reef.

The melting of ice sheets following the Pleistocene Epoch caused a significant rise in global sea level, which fundamentally shaped the development of modern coral reefs.12

During the preceding glacial periods, sea levels were significantly lower, leaving many reefs exposed above water where they were subjected to erosion and solution weathering. As the climate warmed and ice sheets melted, the resulting transgression of the seas submerged these older, drowned landscapes.324

This rise in sea level provided the necessary conditions for new reef growth. Corals began to mantle the older, eroded foundations, growing upward and outward to keep pace with the rising water. In many cases, particularly on continental shelves, this post-glacial submergence is considered a primary explanation for the latest phase of upward reef development. When the rise in sea level paused, reefs were able to establish themselves as fringing reefs, which then grew into barrier reefs or atolls as the water continued to rise.324