Rhodolith formation induced by reef erosion in the Red Sea,Egypt

Along the northwestern margin of Safaga Island (Northern Bay of Safaga, Red Sea, Egypt) a small fringing reef (several hundred meters long, up to 2 m high) and small patch reefs are developed due to the local current regime which is favorable for coral growth. Corals and reef rock are encrusted by coralline algae, predominantly by branchedLithophyllum kotschyanum. Owing to destructional processes dominated by sea urchin activities, fragmentation of (1) corals, (2) reef rock, and (3) coralline algae takes place resulting in the formation of almost mono-specific, branchedLithophyllum kotschyanum rhodoliths. Rhodolith formation takes place in various reef environments: (1) in depressions on the reef flat where ellipsoidal rhodoliths develop, with interlocking and fusing branches leading to a coralline algal framework; (2) in discharge channels where smaller elongated rhodoliths occur; (3) in leeward positions between reef flat and seagrass meadows, where a dense belt of spheroidal to ellipsoidal rhodoliths is formed; scattered rhodoliths occur in adjacent seagrass beds. The formation and preservation of rhodoliths requires a complex interplay of destruction, growth, transportation, movement, and stabilization.     

Implications of reef ecosystem change for the stability and maintenance of coral reef islands

Coral reef islands are among the most vulnerable environments on Earth to climate change because they are low lying and largely constructed from unconsolidated sediments that can be readily reworked by waves and currents. These sediments derive entirely from surrounding coral reef and reef flat environments and are thus highly sensitive to ecological transitions that may modify reef community composition and productivity. How such modifications – driven by anthropogenic disturbances and on‐going and projected climatic and environmental change – will impact reef island sediment supply and geomorphic stability remains a critical but poorly resolved question. Here, we review the unique ecological–geomorphological linkages that underpin this question and, using different scenarios of environmental change for which reef sediment production responses can be projected, explore the likely resilience of different island types. In general, sand‐dominated islands are likely to be less resilient than those dominated by rubble grade material. However, because different islands typically have different dominant sediment constituents (usually either coral, benthic foraminifera or Halimeda) and because these respond differently to individual ecological disturbances, island resilience is likely to be highly variable. Islands composed of coral sands are likely to undergo major morphological change under most near‐future ecological change scenarios, while those dominated by Halimeda may be more resilient. Islands composed predominantly of benthic foraminifera (a common state through the Pacific region) are likely to exhibit varying degrees of resilience depending upon the precise combination of ecological disturbances faced. The study demonstrates the critical need for further research bridging the ecological–geomorphological divide to understand: (1) sediment production responses to different ecological and environmental change scenarios; and (2) dependant landform vulnerability.     

Holocene growth history of an eastern Pacific fringing reef,Punta Islotes,Costa Rica

Rock and sediment cores reveal that a well-developed fringing reef in Golfo Dulce, Pacific Costa Rica, up to 9 m thick was established on Cretaceous basalt about 5500 y BP. It is presently being smothered with fine sediments and is almost completely dead. This reef is made up of three main facies that are represented by comparable extant reef zones: reef-flat branching coral, fore-reef slope massive coral, and fore-reef talus sediment facies. Reef growth began with the establishment of small patch reefs dominantly formed by the branching coral Pocillopora damicornis. P. damicornis spread across the basalt bench and massive colonies of Porites lobata grew on the outer slopes, eventually blocking the seaward transport of Pocillopora fragments to the fore-reef talus sediments. The reef flourished until 500 years ago. Lower accumulation rates during the past 500 years may be due to deteriorating environmental conditions rather than slower growth after the reef reached sea level. Present-day reef communities are severely degraded with less than 2% living coral cover. The increased turbidity associated with the final stage of degradation of this reef is probably related to human activity on the adjacent shores, including deforestation, mining, and road construction.     

Reef to basin sediment transport using Halimeda as a sediment tracer,Grand Cayman Island,West Indies

Fragments of the calcareous green alga Halimeda form a large part of the sediment in the fringing reef system and adjacent deep marine environments of Grand Cayman Island, West Indies. Nine species combine to form three depth-related assemblages that are characteristic of the major reef-related environments (lagoonpatch reef, reef terraces, and deep reef). These modern plant assemblages form the basis of the use of Halimeda as a sediment tracer. Halimeda-based tracer studies of Holocene sediments indicate that only sediments containing deep reef species of Halimeda are presently being transported through the reef system by sediment creep and being deposited at the juncture of the upper and lower island slope. Sediments containing shallow reef Halimeda are retained within the reef and lithified by marine carbonate cements. Tracer studies of Pleistocene sediment indicate large amounts of reef-derived carbonate sand containing deep water Halimeda were produced during interglacial high stands of sea level. Much of this material was removed by turbidity currents moving out of the reef system to the island slope down submarine channels perpendicular to the reef trend. These channels may still be identified on bathymetric profiles, but are no longer receiving coarse reef debris and are veneered with a blanket of pelagic carbonate mud.     

Distribution and sediment production of large benthic foraminifers on reef flats of the Majuro Atoll,Marshall Islands

The distributions and population densities of large benthic foraminifers (LBFs) were investigated on reef flats of the Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands. Annual sediment production by foraminifers was estimated based on population density data. Predominant LBFs were Calcarina and Amphistegina, and the population densities of these foraminifers varied with location and substratum type on reef flats. Both foraminifers primarily attached to macrophytes, particularly turf-forming algae, and were most abundant on an ocean reef flat (ORF) and in an inter-island channel near windward, sparsely populated islands. Calcarina density was higher on windward compared to leeward sides of ORFs, whereas Amphistegina density was similar on both sides of ORFs. These foraminifers were more common on the ocean side relative to the lagoon side of reef flats around a windward reef island, and both were rare or absent in nearshore zones around reef islands and on an ORF near windward, densely populated islands. Foraminiferal production rates varied with the degree to which habitats were subject to water motion and human influences. Highly productive sites (>10³ g CaCO₃ m⁻² year⁻¹) included an ORF and an inter-island channel near windward, sparsely populated islands, and a seaward area of a reef flat with no reef islands. Low-productivity sites (<10 g CaCO₃ m⁻² year⁻¹) included generally nearshore zones of lagoonal reef flats, leeward ORFs, and a windward ORF near densely populated islands. These results suggest that the distribution and production of LBFs were largely influenced by a combination of natural environmental factors, including water motion, water depth, elevation relative to the lowest tidal level at spring tide, and the distribution of suitable substratum. The presence of reef islands may limit the distribution and production of foraminifers by altering water circulation in nearshore environments. Furthermore, increased anthropogenic factors (population and activities) may adversely affect foraminiferal distribution and production.     

The Barrier Reef sediment apron: Tobacco Reef,Belize

Sedimentological and biological surveys of the back-reef sediment apron of Tobacco Reef, a continuous segment of the Belizean Barrier Reef, reveal five distinct biogeological zones: (1) coralline-coral-Dictyota pavement, (2) Turbinaria-Sargassum rubble, (3) Laurencia-Acanthophora sand and gravel, (4) bare sand and 95 Thalassia sand. These zones parallel the entire 9-km reef. The distribution of these zones is related to the spatial patterns of fish herbivory, the size of bottom sediments, and the stability of the substrate. Sedimentological and hydrodynamic studies indicate that most of the sediments in this area are transported from the reef crest and fore reef during periods of storm or hurricane activity and that their size distribution is largely the result of differential transport by high bottom-water velocities during those periods.     

Microatoll microbialites of Lake Clifton,Western Australia: Morphological analogues ofCryptozoön proliferum Hall,the first formally-named stromatolite

Summary The Linnaean nameCryptozo?n proliferum Hall was proposed in 1883 for a previously undescribed life-form preserved in spectacular exposures of Cambrian limestones in New York State, USA. It is now recognised that these are exposures of stromatolitic microbialites, laminated organosedimentary structures formed from interaction between a benthic microbial community (BMC) and the environment. Microbialites are neither fossil organisms nor trace fossils. These complex structures are the products of dissipative, self-organising systems involving a BMC, the external environment and the accreting microbialite. Functionally analogous BMCs of different species compositions may build similar structures in similar environments in quite separate periods. The type exposures ofCryptozo?n proliferum show objects composed of complex, concentric rings, up to a metre in diameter, that have grown laterally without any restriction other than that provided by neighbouring structures. They are not the relicts of domes truncated by penecontemporaneous erosion or Pleistocene glaciation, but depositional forms in which upward growth was restricted. Analogous modern structures occur on a reef platform along the north east shore of hyposaline Lake Clifton, Western Australia. These are tabular thrombolitic microbialites that vary lakeward across the reef platform from low, compound structures to discrete, concentric structures up to 50 cm high. The Lake Clifton forms are, in turn, morphological analogues of microatolls found on coral reef platforms. Coral microatolls are coral colonies with flat, dead tops and living perimeters in which upward growth is constrained by the sea surface. In shallow water they form circular rims of laterally growing coral around a dead centre. In deeper water they form coral heads that develop flat tops on reaching sea level. It is concluded that both the tabular microbialites of Lake Clifton and the type exposures ofCryptozo?n proliferum are analogous to coral microatolls in both form and origin-structures that have been able to grow laterally, but in which upward growth is restricted by subaerial exposure. Similar microatoll microbialites have been described from other modern environments, including Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA and Stocking Island, Exuma Cays, Bahamas. Ancient examples may include some of the “tufa” deposits of the Basal Purbeck Formation in Dorset, UK, as well as the coalesced domal bioherms of the Upper Cambrian Arrinthrunga Formation of the Georgina Basin, Central Australia, and the “washbowl” structures described from the B?tsfjord Formation of the Varanger Peninsula, north Norway. Progress towards a reliable interpretation of ancient microbialites depends on an understanding of modern environments in which analogous structures are forming. This study of microatolls has demonstrated that other sessile life forms may create colonial ecomorphs that, used cautiously, can serve as analogues for understanding the factors controlling the growth and form of microbialites. The surprising lack of pre-Pleistocene examples of microatolls recorded to date has simply been due to their lack of recognition in the geological record. They occur in sequences from the Proterozoic onwards, and provide powerful environmental indicators of ancient reef platforms on which biological growth was adjusted to contemporary sea level.     

Basalt mounds and adjacent depressions attract contrasting biofacies on a volcanically active Middle Miocene coastline (Porto Santo, Madeira Archipelago, Portugal)

Small basalt mounds with encrusting corals and inter-mound carbonate sandy zones with abundant rhodoliths corresponding to an ancient intertidal to shallow-water sea floor are exhumed from overlying volcaniclastic deposits and basalt lava flows at Pedra de água on Ilhéu de Cima off Porto Santo, one of the islands of the northeastern Atlantic Madeira Archipelago (Portugal). The mounds rise above the surrounding surface to attain a height of about half a meter. The mounds exhibit an in situ assemblage of hermatypic corals, dominated by Tarbellastrae and Solenastrea. They formed as massive (4.2?×?1.9?m average length), isolated patches in a protected bay close to shore eroded from an uneven basalt substrate dated to the Middle Miocene (14–15?Ma). The slightly deeper zones between basalt mounds, which alternate with them over a distance of more than 20?m, are covered mainly by coarse carbonate sand on which rhodoliths up to 14.8?cm in diameter are preserved in situ. Many rhodoliths have grown around a basalt core, which indicates a local, near-shore source for development. Complete burial of the elevated coral settlements and intervening low zones populated by rhodoliths occurred when volcanic lapilli and other tephra catastrophically buried this part of the rocky shore. The rhodoliths and coral assemblages exposed in an area of 12?m² were canvassed systematically using census quadrats to quantify community relationships.     

Sediment resuspension and transport patterns on a fringing reef flat,Molokai, Hawaii

Corals are known to flourish in various turbid environments around the world. The quantitative distinction between clear and turbid water in coral habitats is not well defined nor are the amount of sediment in suspension and rates of sedimentation used to evaluate the condition of reef environments well established. This study of sediment resuspension, transport, and resulting deposition on a fringing reef flat off Molokai, Hawaii, uses a year of time-series data from a small, instrumented tripod. It shows the importance of trade winds and ocean wave heights in controlling the movement of sediment. Sediment is typically resuspended daily and the dominant controls on the magnitude of events (10–25 mg/l) are the trade-wind-generated waves and currents and tidal elevation on the reef flat. The net flux of sediment on this reef is primarily along the reef flat in the direction of the prevailing trade winds (to the west), with a secondary direction of slightly offshore, towards a zone of low coral abundance.These results have application to reef studies and reef management in other areas in several ways. First, the observed resuspension and turbidity results from fine-grained terrigenous sediment that appears to be trapped and recycled on the reef flat. Thus corals are subjected to light attenuation by the same particles repeatedly, however small the amount. Secondly, the measurements show high temporal variability (from daily to seasonal scales) of sediment resuspension, indicating that single measurements are inadequate to accurately describe conditions on a reef flat.Communicated by: P.K. Swart     

Water movement within a fringing reef flat,Orpheus Island,North Queensland,Australia

A technique to examine through reef water movement by direct tracing using fluorescent dyes is described. Results from an experiment conducted on the sand dominated fringing reef flat at Pioneer Bay, Orpheus Island, North Queensland, indicate net seaward water movement velocities in the order of 40 m day^-1, and considerable vertical mixing. A conceptual model of water movement is proposed in which dispersive type water movement is predominant when the reef flat is submerged, with advection being more significant when the reef flat is exposed. The application of the method to the study of the mechanisms of diagenesis is discussed and water quality rather than water agitation is suggested as being the principal reason for most rapid lithification being reported as occurring near the sediment water interface.     

Cruoriella rhodoliths from shallow-water back reef environments in La Parguera, Puerto Rico (Caribbean Sea)

The occurrence of shallow-water (0.9 to 1.3 m) rhodoliths in back reef environments in southwest Puerto Rico is reported. The rhodoliths were generally cylindrical, discoidal or irregular in shape with an average longest dimension of 7.2 cm. They occurred at a maximum density of 524 m⁻². The rhodoliths were composed of mostly coral nuclei with concentric laminations of aragonite-producing Cruoriella armorica (Peyssonneliaceae, Rhodophyta). Maximum Cruoriella accretion around coral nuclei was 30 mm although accretions of 1 to 20 mm were more common. Based on measurements of Cruoriella accretion, these shallow water rhodoliths are estimated to have minimum ages of 12 to 24 years. It is further estimated that approximately 2% of the rhodoliths are turned over daily. Accepted: 1 October 1999     

The geological effects of hurricanes on coral reefs and the interpretation of storm deposits

Hurricanes occur in belts 7° to 25° north and south of the equator. Reefs growing in these belts suffer periodic damage from hurricane-generated waves and storm surge. Corals down to 20m depth may be broken and removed, branching colonies being much more susceptible to breakage than upright massive forms. Sand cays may be washed away and former storm ridges may migrate to leeward across reef flats to link with islands. Reef crest and reef front coral debris accumulate as talus at the foot of the fore-reef slope, on submarine terraces and grooves, on the intertidal reef flat as storm ridges of shingle or boulders and isolated blocks of reef framework, as accreting beach ridges of leeward migrating shingle, as lobes and wedges of debris in back-reef lagoons, as drapes of carbonate sand and mud in deep off-reef locations in the fore-reef and lagoonal areas. In addition to the coarse debris deposited, other features may aid the recognition of former hurricane events, including the assemblage of reef biota, its species composition and the structure of the skeletons; graded internal sediments in framework cavities; characteristic sequences of encrusting organisms; characteristic shapes of reef flat microatoll corals; and submarine cement crusts over truncated reef surfaces. The abundance of reef flat storm deposits whose ages cluster around 3000–4000 y BP in certain parts of the world most likely relate to a slight fall in relative sea level rather than an increase in storminess during that period. A higher frequency of storms need not result in more reef flat storm deposits. The violence of the storm relative to normal fair-weather conditions influences the extent of damage; the length of time since the previous major storm influences the amount of coral debris created; the length of time after the hurricane, and before a subsequent storm influences the degree of stabilization of reef-top storm deposits and hence their chances of preservation.     

Wave-current interactions on a shallow reef (Nicaragua,Central America)

Measurements of wave height and currents associated with normal trade-wind conditions have been made on a linear reef that parallels the northern and northeastern coast of Great Corn Island, eastern shelf of Nicaragua, Central America. Analyses indicate that waves breaking over the reef crest generate lagoonward flow normal to the reef. Average reef-normal flow was in the range of 10 to 20 cm/s; however, individual wave surges reached values of up to 180 cm/s. The strength of the over-the-reef flow is modulated by the tide. Lagoon currents are weak (2–5 cm/s) and change direction with the tide as the lagoon fills and drains. Long-period oscillations in water level (30 s to 20 min) and in the current were observed, and may be important in transporting fine-grained sediments out of the reef-lagoon system. Strong, short-duration surge currents ( <5 s) transport coarse sediment from the breaker zone to the seaward margin of the backreef lagoon.     

Importance of foraminifera for the formation and maintenance of a coral sand cay: Green Island, Australia

 CaCO₃ production by reef-building organisms on Green Island Reef in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia is estimated and compared with the contribution of benthic foraminifera to the sediment mass of the vegetated sand cay. Major constituents of the cay are benthic foraminifera (mainly Amphistegina lessonii, Baculogypsina sphaerulata, and Calcarina hispida), calcareous algae (Halimeda and coralline algae), hermatypic corals, and molluscs. Among these reef-building organisms, benthic foraminifera are the single most important contributor to the sediment mass of the island (ca. 30% of total sediments), although their production of CaCO₃ is smaller than other reef-building organisms. Water current measurements and sediment traps indicate that the velocity of the current around Green Island is suitable for transportation and deposition of foraminiferal tests. Abundant foraminifera presently live in association with algal turf on the shallow exposed reef flat, whose tests were accumulated by waves resulting in the formation and maintenance of the coral sand cay. Accepted: 30 June 1999     

Coral reefs in a high-latitude,siliciclastic barrier island setting: reef framework and sediment production at Inhaca Island,southern Mozambique

Inhaca Island (southern Mozambique) is located in a high-latitude setting along the seaward margins of the estuarine Maputo Bay and is subject to fluctuations in temperature and salinity, and high sedimentation and turbidity levels. Coral reefs are developed sporadically along the margins of intertidal channels, but framework development is severely restricted. Coral growth is bathymetrically limited (never exceeding 6-m depth), and framework accumulation is only present in the upper 1–2 m. Massive Porites sp. produce a basic reef structure, with other coral genera (mainly Acropora sp., Favia sp., Platygyra sp., Pocillopora sp., and Montipora sp.) colonizing available substrata. Sediment samples also indicate restricted carbonate sediment production, with siliciclastics (mainly quartz) a major sediment contributor (often >90%) and carbonate grain assemblages differing from those normally associated with lower-latitude reefs. Although corals, molluscs and coralline algae (including rhodoliths) represent dominant grain constituents, Halimeda is absent and there is a low diversity (four species identified) of benthic foraminifera (mainly Amphistegina sp.). Grain associations are therefore somewhat transitional in character, comprising elements of both tropical (chlorozoan) and temperate (foramol) grain assemblages. These patterns of reef and associated carbonate production emphasize the marginal character of these reef environments, which form one end member in a broad spectrum of marginal reef systems that are now being identified in a range of both high- and low-latitude settings.     

Coral associations of the Pleistocene Ironshore Formation,Grand Cayman

The 125-ka sea level, which was approximately 6 m above present-day sea level, led to the partial flooding of many Caribbean islands. On Grand. Cayman, this event led to the formation of the large Ironshore Lagoon that covered most of the western half of the island and numerous, small embayments along the south, east, and north coasts. At that time, at least 33 coral species grew in waters around Grand Cayman. This fauna, like the modern coral fauna of Grand Cayman, was dominated byMontastrea annularis, Porites porites, Acropora polmata, andA. cervicornis. Scolymia cubensis andMycetophyllia ferox, not previously identified from the Late Pleistocene, are found in the Pleistocene patch reefs.Madracis mirabilis, Colpophyllia breviserialis, Agaricia tenuifolia, A. lamarcki, A. undata, Millepora spp., Mycetophyllia reesi, M. aliciae, andM. danaana, found on modern reefs, have not been identified from the Late Pleistocene reefs. Conversely,Pocillopora sp. cf.P. palmata, which is found in Late Pleistocene reefs, is absent on the modern reefs around Grand Cayman. The corals in the Ironshore Formation of Grand Cayman have been divided into 10 associations according to their dominant species, overall composition, and faunal diversity. Many of these associations are similar to the modern associations around Grand Cayman. Each of the Pleistocene coral associations, which can be accurately located on the known Late Pleistocene paleogeography of Grand Cayman, developed in distinct environmental settings. Overall trends identified in the modern settings are also apparent in the Late Pleistocene faunas. Thus, the diversity of the coral faunas increased from the interior of the Ironshore Lagoon to the reef crest. Similarly, the coral diversity in the Pleistocene patch reefs was related to the size of the reefs and their position relative to breaks in the barrier reef. The barrier reef included corals that are incapable of sediment rejection; whereas the patch reefs lacked such corals.     

Bioerosion in the Miocene Reefs of the northwest Red Sea,Egypt

Macroborings provide detailed information on the bioerosion, accretion and palaeoenvironment of both modern and fossil reefs. Dolomitized reefal carbonates in the Um Mahara Formation exhibit an outstanding example of spatially distributed, well‐preserved bioerosion structures in tropical to subtropical syn‐rift Miocene reefs. Ten ichnospecies belonging to five ichnogenera are identified; three belonging to the bivalve‐boring ichnogenus Gastrochaenolites, three attributed to the sponge‐boring ichnogenus Entobia, and four ichnospecies assigned to three worm‐boring ichnogenera Trypanites, Maeandropolydora and Caulostrepsis. The distribution of the reported borings is strongly linked to the palaeo‐reef zones. Two distinctive ichnological boring assemblages are recognized. The Gastrochaenolites‐dominated assemblage reflects shallower‐marine conditions, under water depths of a few metres, mostly in back‐reef to patch‐reef zones of a back‐reef lagoon. The Entobia‐dominated assemblage signifies relatively deeper marine conditions, mostly in reef core of the fringing Miocene reefs. These ichnological assemblages are attributed herein to the Entobia sub‐ichnofacies of the Trypanites ichnofacies. This ichnofacies indicates boring in hard carbonate substrates (such as corals, rhodoliths, carbonate cements and hardgrounds) during periods of non‐sedimentation or reduced sediment input.     

Parrotfish predation on massive Porites on the Great Barrier Reef

Parrotfish grazing scars on coral colonies were quantified across four reef zones at Lizard Island, Northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The abundance of parrotfish grazing scars was highest on reef flat and crest, with massive Porites spp. colonies having more parrotfish grazing scars than all other coral species combined. Massive Porites was the only coral type positively selected for grazing by parrotfishes in all four reef zones. The density of parrotfish grazing scars on massive Porites spp., and the rate of new scar formation, was highest on the reef crest and flat, reflecting the lower massive Porites cover and higher parrotfish abundance in these habitats. Overall, it appears that parrotfish predation pressure on corals could affect the abundance of preferred coral species, especially massive Porites spp, across the reef gradient. Parrotfish predation on corals may have a more important role on the GBR reefs than previously thought.     

The modern reef complex,Jeddah area,Red Sea: a facies model for carbonate sedimentation on embryonic passive margins

The modern reef complex north of Jeddah comprises an offshore knoll platform and a fringing reef, subdivised into several depositional zones: tops and upper flanks of offshore reefs; lower flanks of offshore reefs and nearby inter-reef areas; fringing forereef, reef flat and backreef zones, and beach. Sixty-seven sediment samples were collected from the different zones and have been analysed in order to define relationships between the distribution of sedimentary facies and the depositional environments, and to furnish a reliable facies model by using multivariate analysis. Six types and subtypes have been objectively differentiated on the basis of total biogenic component and foraminiferal associations. Grain size data allowed us to discriminate three textural types, whereas five chemotypes have been recognized according to trace element concentration. Regarding the offshore reef platform, poorly sorted, medium sands of molluscan-coralline algal-Amphistegina and Cd types are restricted to the lower flanks of buildups and to the adjacent inter-reef deposits, whereas the tops and upper flanks of theses buildups are characterized by moderately sorted, coarse sands of coralline algal-Tubipora-Amphistegina-encrusting foraminiferal-bryozoan types, with a Mn chemotype. Concerning the fringing reef system, backreef areas exhibit poorly sorted, fine sands of molluscan-Ammonia-Peneroplis and Fe-Cu types. Moderately sorted, coarse sands of coralgal-Calcarina-Spiroloculina and Fe-Zn types are found on the reef flat. The forereef zone is characterized by poorly sorted, fine sand of Triloculina-encrusting foraminiferal-bryozoan and Zn-Mn types. The lateral limits of the various biotypes roughly coincide with the distribution of the relevant living organic communities. Trace elements appear to be either bound to the reef-associated silicate fractions or incorporated into the carbonate skeletons. On the basis of prevailing water conditions, physiography, biological and sedimentological attributes, the fringing reef can be regarded as an asymmetrical structure, with bidimensional (lateral and vertical) facies zonation; in contrast, the offshore platform is a symmetrical structure, with one dimensional (depth-dependent) facies zonation. This system is believed to represent a modern example of a laterally undifferentiated, offshore reef tract in a relatively enclosed basin, at an embryonic passive continental margin.     

Numerical modeling of the impact of sea-level rise on fringing coral reef hydrodynamics and sediment transport

Most climate projections suggest that sea level may rise on the order of 0.5–1.0 m by 2100; it is not clear, however, how fluid flow and sediment dynamics on exposed fringing reefs might change in response to this rapid sea-level rise. Coupled hydrodynamic and sediment-transport numerical modeling is consistent with recent published results that suggest that an increase in water depth on the order of 0.5–1.0 m on a 1–2 m deep exposed fringing reef flat would result in larger significant wave heights and setup, further elevating water depths on the reef flat. Larger waves would generate higher near-bed shear stresses, which, in turn, would result in an increase in both the size and the quantity of sediment that can be resuspended from the seabed or eroded from adjacent coastal plain deposits. Greater wave- and wind-driven currents would develop with increasing water depth, increasing the alongshore and offshore flux of water and sediment from the inner reef flat to the outer reef flat and fore reef where coral growth is typically greatest. Sediment residence time on the fringing reef flat was modeled to decrease exponentially with increasing sea-level rise as the magnitude of sea-level rise approached the mean water depth over the reef flat. The model results presented here suggest that a 0.5–1.0 m rise in sea level will likely increase coastal erosion, mixing and circulation, the amount of sediment resuspended, and the duration of high turbidity on exposed reef flats, resulting in decreased light availability for photosynthesis, increased sediment-induced stress on the reef ecosystem, and potentially affecting a number of other ecological processes.