Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
Effects of Sand Deposition on Scleractinian and Alcyonacean Corals
ORCID
0000-0002-6003-9324
ResearcherID
F-8807-2011
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Marine Biology
ISSN
0025-3162
Publication Date
1-1995
Keywords
Organic carbon, Sandy beach, Marine sediment, Surface sediment, Organic content, Water column, Water content, Coral reefs
Abstract
The ability of corals to withstand experimental sand deposition was investigated for two experimental periods (17 h and 6 wk) in eight scleractinia (Favia favus, Favites pentagona, Platygyra daedalea, Gyrosmilia interrupta, Galaxea fascicularis, Cyphastrea chalcidicum, Favites abdita, Goniopora dijboutensis) and five alcyonacea (Lobophytum depressum, L. venustum, Sinularia dura, S. leptoclados, Sarcophyton glaucum) collected in 1992 from Natal, South Africa. Scleractinia were active sediment shedders, alcyonacea passive, relying on water motion and gravity. Short-term sand clearing efficiency was primarily dependent on corallum shape. Sand application led to hydrostatic inflation of polyps in scleractinia and the entire colony in alcyonacea as well as to increased tentacular action in the scleractinian Gyrosmilia interrupta. Under continuous sand application, inflation remained while other activities, such as tentacular motion, ceased completely. In scleractinia and alcyonacea, tissue necroses appeared after the first week of continuous sand application. Death of entire colonies and partial bleaching of continually sandcovered areas were observed in alcyonacea only. Different grain sizes of sand had no influence on clearing reaction or efficiencies.
DOI
10.1007/BF00349461
Volume
121
Issue
3
First Page
517
Last Page
526
NSUWorks Citation
Bernhard Riegl. 1995. Effects of Sand Deposition on Scleractinian and Alcyonacean Corals .Marine Biology , (3) : 517 -526. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/339.
Comments
©Springer-Verlag 1995