Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2003
Publication Title
Atoll Research Bulletin
ISSN
0077-5630
Volume
496
Issue/No.
4
First Page
58
Last Page
75
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.
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.
DOI
10.5479/si.00775630.496-4.58