Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Atoll Research Bulletin
ISSN
0077-5630
Publication Date
7-2003
Abstract
Coral reefs at 13 sites ranging in depth from 1-16 m near Hopetown, Abaco Islands, Bahamas were surveyed utilizing the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) benthos protocol. A total of 35 species of scleractinian corals and 2 species of calcareous hydrocorals were observed. The overall coral cover averaged just over 14%. Among corals that were at least 10 cm in diameter, small colonies (< 40 cm diameter) predominated in all sites except for the Fowl Cay pinnacles where 68% were larger than 60 cm in diameter. Large colonies (> 40 cm diameter) were also found in the Lynyard Cay spur-and-groove formations and the Sandy Cay fore reef. Zero-4% of the colonies were affected by disease. Total (recent + old) partial-colony mortality ranged from 9-31% (both extreme values being found in outer reef crests). Turf algae were the most common algal functional group overall. Macroalgae were ubiquitous, however, with relative abundance values of about 25-47%. Macroalgal indices (a proxy for biomass) ranged from 64 in the Sandy Cay back reef to 184 in the Fowl Cay outer reef crest.
DOI
10.5479/si.00775630.496-4.58
Volume
496
Issue
4
First Page
58
Last Page
75
NSUWorks Citation
Joshua Feingold, Susan L. Thornton, Kenneth W. Banks, Nancy J. Gasman, David S. Gilliam, Pamela Fletcher, and Christian L. Avila. 2003. A Rapid Assessment of Coral Reefs Near Hopetown, Abaco Islands, Bahamas (Stony Corals and Algae) .Atoll Research Bulletin , (4) : 58 -75. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/314.