Resurvey of a reef flat in American Samoa after 85 years reveals devastation to a soft coral (Alcyonacea) community.

Twenty Years of Disturbance and Change in Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, American Samoa

Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary contains a moderately diverse coral reef community (150 coral species, 259 fish species) that is protected from most human activities. The coral community was devastated by a crown-of-thorns starfish invasion in 1979 and has recently been affected by two major hurricanes (1990 and 1991) and a period of unusually high water temperature (1994). Long-term mon...

Reef Coral Communities at Pila'a Reef: Results of the 2004 resurvey

Water Quality and Herbivory Interactively Drive Coral-Reef Recovery Patterns in American Samoa

BACKGROUND Compared with a wealth of information regarding coral-reef recovery patterns following major disturbances, less insight exists to explain the cause(s) of spatial variation in the recovery process. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS This study quantifies the influence of herbivory and water quality upon coral reef assemblages through space and time in Tutuila, American Samoa, a Pacific ...

Hydrodynamic Modelling of Coral Reefs:Ningaloo Reef-Western Australia

As with all coral reef systems, the ecology of Ningaloo Reef is closely linked to water circulation which transport and disperse key material such as nutrients and larvae. Circulation on coral reefs may be driven by a number of forcing mechanisms including waves, tides, wind, and buoyancy effects. Surface waves interacting with reefs have long been known to dominate the currents on many coral r...

Spatial and temporal distribution of larvae of coral reef fishes in northern Red Sea, Egypt

The larval community of coral reef fishes in the Red Sea was studied in coastal and offshore sites to determine the effects of the exposure to waves and currents and the distance from the shore in structuring the larval fish community. Plankton sampling from inshore and offshore sites and the exposed and sheltered sides of the reefs resulted in the collection of 2048 larvae representing 49 diff...