Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Tissue Damage In Scleractinian And Alcyonacean Corals Due To Experimental Exposure To Sedimentation, Bernhard Riegl, Jonathan P. Bloomer
Tissue Damage In Scleractinian And Alcyonacean Corals Due To Experimental Exposure To Sedimentation, Bernhard Riegl, Jonathan P. Bloomer
Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures
Four South African scleractinian corals (Favia favus, Favites pentagona, Platygyra daedalea and Gyrosmilia interrupta) and four alcyonacean corals (Lobophytum depressum, Lobophytum venustum, Sinularia dura and Sinularia leptoclados) were experimentally exposed to high sedimentation conditions in the laboratory during a period of six weeks. Experimental sedimentation corresponded to the highest measured sedimentation levels on South African coral reefs, being 200 mg cm-2h-l. Corals were monitored for tissue necroses and bleaching during the course of the experiment and histological sections were prepared after the termination of the experiment. During the experiment, tissue necroses appeared earlier and more frequently in alcyonacea than in …
Is Coral Community Structure Linked To Damage Susceptibility? A Case Study From South Africa, Bernhard Riegl, Peter A. Cook
Is Coral Community Structure Linked To Damage Susceptibility? A Case Study From South Africa, Bernhard Riegl, Peter A. Cook
Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures
Africa's southernmost coral communities are situated in northern Natal, South Africa (27°50' S), within the Maputaland and St. Lucia Marine Reserves. Growing concern about the possible impact of recreational acti vities on the health of the coral ecosystem prompted the present study on the structure and health of the reefs. Coral community studies by means of line transects identified three basic coral community types, which correlated with the geomorphology of the sandstone outcrops on which corals grew. 1) Fossil dunes were dominated by alcyonacea in depths between 8 and 24 m. 2) Flat outcrops between 18 and 24 m depth …