Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Distribution and Environmental Control of Coral Assemblages in Northern Safaga Bay (Red Sea, Egypt)

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-1997

Publication Title

Facies

Keywords

Coral assemblages, Assemblage mapping, Environmental control, Ecology, Coral reef, Coral carret, Safaga, Red Sea (Egypt), Holocene

ISSN

0172-9179

Volume

36

Issue/No.

1

First Page

141

Last Page

162

Abstract

Coral assemblages in northern Safaga Bay, Red Sea, Egypt, are qualitatively described. Nine distinct assemblages were found, which correspond to quantitatively defined community types previously described from the area off Hurghada, northern Red Sea. Their distribution within northern Safaga Bay was mapped. Strong gradient and/or steep relief assemblages were: Acropora assemblage on windward (exposed) reefs, Porites assemblage on leeward (sheltered) reefs, Millepora assemblage on current exposed reefs, Stylophora assemblage on reef flats. Low gradient and/or low relief assemblages were: Acropora dominated coral patches in areas of good circulation to a depth of 15 m, Stylophora/Acropora coral patch assemblages in shallow sheltered environments, faviid carpet in low relief areas between 10 and 25 m which with increasing turbidity turns into a depauperate faviid carpet, Porites carpet in low relief areas between 5 and 15 m with clearest water, Sarcophyton carpet in low relief areas with high suspension load, platy scleractinian assemblage in deeper water (>25 m) with low light intensity. The distribution of coral assemblages depends basically on 1) topography 2) hydrodynamics 3) light and 4) suspension load.

Comments

©Institut für Paläontologie, Universität Erlangen 1997

Additional Comments

Australian Science Foundation project #: P10715-GEO

ORCID ID

0000-0002-6003-9324

ResearcherID

F-8807-2011

DOI

10.1007/BF02536881

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