Bio-physical determinants of sediment accumulation on an offshore coral reef: A snapshot study

Tebbett, Sterling B.; Schlaefer, Jodie A.; Bowden, Casey L.; Collins, William P.; Hemingson, Christopher R.; Ling, Scott D.; Morais, Juliano; Morais, Renato A.; Siqueira, Alexandre C.; Streit, Robert P.; Swan, Sam; Bellwood, David R.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165188

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 139 publications

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“…Sediment moves between two main reservoirs: the water column, where it can increase turbidity, and the seabed, where it can deposit on the existing benthic community or form sedimentary bodies such as sediment aprons, sand bars, dunes etc. (Tebbett et al 2023). Sediment suspension, transport and deposition can vary substantially spatially and in time, due to changes in ow regimes, weather patterns, sediment sources and seabed morphology (Schlaefer et al 2021, Schlaefer et al 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…: Storlazzi et al 2010), as part of efforts to quantify the effects of sediment on coral settlement and growth (Schlaefer et al 2021). In general, most studies do not fully describe the actual sedimentary setting of a system, including hydrodynamic features, characterization of different sediment sources and their connections, as well as the implications of using different sampling methodologies (Schlaefer et al 2021, Schlaefer et al 2022, Tebbett et al 2023). This has led to an oversimpli cation of sedimentation dynamics on coral reefs in ecological literature, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary collaborations on this subject (Schlaefer et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hydrodynamic processes on reefs are strongly in uenced by reef morphology (Monismith 2007, Schlaefer et al 2022, Tebbett et al 2023, determining distribution of nutrient uptake (Baird and Atkinson 1997), temperature (Rogers et al 2015), patterns in sediment transport and deposition, and early substrate diagenesis (Comeau et al 2014) at relatively ne spatial scales (Hench and Rosman 2013, Tebbett et al 2023). The morphology of coral reef structures can widely vary, from at planes to steep drop offs, to regular or irregular rugged surfaces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Morphologically driven sedimentation patterns on a coral reef

Sartori,

Boles,

Monismith

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Coral reef sediment research focused on quantifying production sources, suspended sediment, and trapping or accumulation rates, overlooking the role of hydrodynamics and reef morphology in determining these. We used an interdisciplinary approach, focusing on the links between physical features and processes and hypothesized how they affect reef recovery. Typhoon Bopha hit Ngederrak Reef (Palau) in 2012, significantly reducing coral cover. The reef is characterized by spur and grooves (SAGs) and bordered by two tidal channels, but SAGs are not present in its northernmost part, near one of these channels. The reef has recovered in the SAG area, but its recovery was slower in the north. Flow measurements and sediment samples taken in SAG and non-SAG areas were used to calculate the threshold for sediment movement due to mean flows and wave orbital velocities. Sediment on SAGs was mainly suspended by waves, but the direction of net transport was determined by the mean flow. The threshold for sediment movement due to mean flow was reached 80–100% of the time on spurs, in grooves it was reached 60% and 33% of the times during flooding and ebbing tides respectively. This tidal asymmetry suggests that sediment was removed from spurs and transported seaward in grooves to be stored at depth. The steeper slope in grooves (8%) relative to the non-SAG area (4%), favors rubble accumulation and stabilization. This information can help predict localized sediment impacts as well as describing the role of the widely distributed SAG morphology in promoting coral reef recovery.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Morphologically driven sedimentation patterns on a coral reef

Sartori,

Boles,

Monismith

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The hydrodynamics of Lizard Island lagoon, Great Barrier Reef

Philipps,

Bellwood

2024

Coral Reefs

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Hydrodynamic processes are a major driver for marine systems, linking marine organisms with their environment. However, a lack of hydrodynamic data at an ecologically relevant spatial resolution has stymied our understanding of reef function, as exemplified by Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. To address this gap, 23 to 27 Marotte HS current meters were deployed over three periods, collecting 15 months of current velocity data. Combining these data with wind and tide datasets, we provide a preliminary description of the circulation in the Lizard Island lagoon, examining wind and tide influence, and flushing time. During south-easterly trade winds, flood tides flow through the Lagoon Entrance, while wind-induced waves cross the Bird-South crest, driving a north-westerly flow through Loomis Channel and across the western lagoon. Ebb tides flow east–south-east through the Lagoon Entrance and south-west through the Palfrey-South channel. Tides contribute a mean of 20.4% to the overall current speed, particularly in deeper sites with less reef interference, while shallow sites were more influenced by wind. Lizard Island lagoon flushing times ranged from a few hours to 10 days; longer during periods with low wind speeds. Hindcast flushing times during the 2016 coral bleaching event (following 8 Degree Heating Weeks) were approximately 22 h, suggesting that flushing time likely had minimal influence on bleaching. Our analyses provide initial insights into the circulation of the Lizard Island system and aid understanding of the potential relationships between reef organisms and their physical environment, bridging the gap between ecology and hydrodynamics.

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