Interaction of genetic processes in holocene reefs off North Eleuthera Island, Bahamas

Zankl, Heinrich; Schroeder, Johannes H.

doi:10.1007/bf01896331

Cited by 41 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Several generations of burrows may be present. Collectively these features imply multiple cycles of boring, infilling and cementation (compare Lighty 1985;Zankl and Schroeder 1972;Schroeder and Zankl 1974).…”

Section: Lithological and Ecological Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Origins and development of Holocene coral reefs: a revisited model based on reef boreholes in the Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Braithwaite¹,

Montaggioni

Camoin

et al. 2000

International Journal of Earth Sciences

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Until recently, concepts of coral reef growth and accumulation have been predominantly based on a Darwinian model. In this, the upwards and outwards growth of a reef core (a coral framework) takes place over a foreslope consisting of reef talus, with the simultaneous filling of the back-reef lagoon by reef-derived debris. The principal adaptations of this pattern relate to the influence of relative changes in sea level and commonly ignore oceanographic factors such as storm frequency and severity. Boreholes through the outer edge of a fringing reef in the Seychelles, western Indian Ocean, reveal a record of Holocene sediment accumulation first established approximately 8 ka ago. Faunal and floral associations show that growth of this body began in relatively deep water but that this shallowed to ~5 m within 1 ka. Subsequent accumulation was of "keep-up" style but, as the rate of sea-level rise slowed, shoaling became more frequent and aggradation was limited by reducing accommodation space. Constructional facies are characterised either by massive corals, including Leptastrea, Porites and faviids, or by branching corals, typically Acropora of the danairobusta group. Coral surfaces may be encrusted by red algae, foraminifera and vermetids, and are commonly bored by filamentous algae, clionids and molluscs. However, detrital facies are volumetrically dominant, and the paucity of a constructional framework requires a re-evaluation of models of reef accretion. New models relate the geometry of accretion to the interplay between extreme storm events and fairweather hydrodynamic conditions. These suggest that a contiguous framework forms in areas of moderate fairweather energy without extreme storm events. Severe storms destroy the continuity of reef structures and generate increasing volumes of coarse detritus. Low storm severity, coupled with low fairweather hydrodynamic energy, may promote the accumulation of fine-grained reef-derived sediments that inhibit framework growth. While ecology reflects year-by-year sea conditions, lithology and structure are controlled by exceptional storms, with the effects of changing sea level superimposed.

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Section: Lithological and Ecological Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Origins and development of Holocene coral reefs: a revisited model based on reef boreholes in the Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Braithwaite¹,

Montaggioni

Camoin

et al. 2000

International Journal of Earth Sciences

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“…In modern reefs these organisms, by boring large and small holes into skeletons and cemented reef limestone: (1) weaken large skeletons and reef rocks; they may be eroded and redeposited by physical processes; (2) create holes that can be filled, in turn, with fine grained internal sediment and so alter the original depositional fabric of the reef limestone; and (3) by their boring action create fine sediment (Scoffin & Garrett, 1974;Zankl& Schroeder, 1972;Jamesetal., 1976). These processes have been recognized in Mesozoic and Cenozoic reefs (Warme, 1975)…”

Section: Bioerosionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower Cambrian patch reefs and associated sediments: southern Labrador, Canada

James

Kobluk

1978

Sedimentology

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The complex pattern of biological accretion, internal sedimentation, early lithification, and biological destruction, that characterizes modern reefs and many fossil reefs has been recognized in archaeocyathid‐rich patch reefs of Lower Cambrian age in the Forteau Formation, southern Labrador. Patch reefs occur as isolated masses or complex associations of many discrete masses of archaeocyathid‐rich limestone and skeletal lime sands, surrounded by well‐bedded skeletal limestones and shales. Each reef is composed of many loafshaped mounds stacked on top of one another. The limestone of each mound comprises archaeocyathids and Renalcis or Renalcis‐like structures in a matrix of argillaceous lime mud rich in sponge spicules, trilobite and salterellid skeletons. Numerous growth cavities roofed by pendant Renalcis‐like organisms and Renalcis are partially to completely filled with geopetal sediment indicating that much of the matrix was deposited as internal sediment. Two stages of diagenetic alteration are recognized: (1) syn‐depositional, which affected only the reefs, and (2) post‐depositional, which affected both reefs and inter‐reef sediments. On the sea floor reef sediments were pervasively cemented and fibrous carbonate was precipitated in intraskeletal and growth cavities. These limestones and cements as well as archaeocyathid skeletons, were subsequently bored by endolithic organisms. Later post‐depositional subaerial diagenesis resulted first in dissolution of certain skeletons and precipitation of calcite cement above the water table, followed by extensive precipitation of pore‐filling calcite below the water table. These carbonate reefs are similar in structure to the basal pioneer accumulations of much younger lower and middle Palaeozoic reefs. They did not develop into massive ‘ecologic’ reefs because archaeocyathids never developed the necessary large, massive, hemispherical skeletons. This occurrence indicates that reefs developed more or less coincident with, and not long after, the appearance of skeletal metazoans in the Lower Cambrian.

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“…The effect of boring organisms in reef destruction has been discussed by GARDINER (1903), FINCKH (1904), OTTER (1937), HOBERTSON (1963), GOREAU and HARTMANN (1963), JAMES (1970), SCOFBIN (1972), ZANKL and SCHROEDER (1972), GINSBURG and SCHROEDER (1973) and HEIN and RISK (1975).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%