The geological effects of hurricanes on coral reefs and the interpretation of storm deposits

Scoffin, Terence P.

doi:10.1007/bf00334480

Cited by 272 publications

(156 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher seasonal storms (Kobluk & Lysenko 1993, Rogers 1993, Scoffin 1993, anchoring by ships (Dinsdale & Harriott 2004), and feeding activity of fishes (Shibuno et al 1994). Thus, colonization after these disturbances is an important process for the maintenance of species diversity in coral rubble habitats, but only a few studies have been carried out on this topic (PeyrotClausade 1980, Kobluk & Lysenko 1993.…”

Section: Abstract: Coral Rubble · Assemblages · Temporal Variationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Colonization patterns of mobile cryptic animals into interstices of coral rubble

Takada

Abe²,

Shibuno³

2007

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Section: Abstract: Coral Rubble · Assemblages · Temporal Variationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Colonization patterns of mobile cryptic animals into interstices of coral rubble

Takada

Abe²,

Shibuno³

2007

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Episodic events, i.e., those lasting anywhere from a few hours to several months, that can injure, kill, and collapse most corals over scales of hectares include hurricanes (Woodley et al 1981, Massel and Done 1993, Rogers 1993, Scoffin 1993, Bythell et al 2000, fresh water (Hedley 1925), predators (Endean 1976, Moran 1986), stress-related bleaching (Glynn 1993, Brown 1997, Goreau et al 2000, and sedimentation (Cortes and Risk 1985). Other disturbances, such as the many diseases reported among Caribbean corals in recent years (Richardson 1998), may take years to decades to decimate the local population of corals Conservation Ecology 6(2): 18. http://www.consecol.org/vol6/iss2/art18 (Antonius 1985, Aronson andPrecht 1997).…”

Section: Disturbances and Reef Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When and where extreme events do occur, the reefs involved are, at the very least, substantially set back to an earlier successional stage dominated by coral rubble and algal turf. The worst cyclones destroy the entire coral architecture and redistribute rubble and biogenic sediments (Woodley et al 1981, Dollar and Tribble 1993, Scoffin 1993. Within cyclone latitudes, the expected "cyclone-free" longevity of a massive coral (Massel and Done 1993), which may also be thought of as a surrogate for the longevity of uninterrupted succession, first increases, then decreases with increasing distance from the equator.…”

Section: Natural Disturbances: Cyclonesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological States and the Resilience of Coral Reefs

McClanahan¹,

Polunin²,

Done³

2002

175

116

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ABSTRACT. We review the evidence for multiple ecological states and the factors that create ecological resilience in coral reef ecosystems. There are natural differences among benthic communities along gradients of water temperature, light, nutrients, and organic matter associated with upwelling-downwelling and onshoreoffshore systems. Along gradients from oligotrophy to eutrophy, plant-animal symbioses tend to decrease, and the abundance of algae and heterotrophic suspension feeders and the ratio of organic to inorganic carbon production tend to increase. Human influences such as fishing, increased organic matter and nutrients, sediments, warm water, and transportation of xenobiotics and diseases are common causes of a large number of recently reported ecological shifts. It is often the interaction of persistent and multiple synergistic disturbances that causes permanent ecological transitions, rather than the succession of individual short-term disturbances. For example, fishing can remove top-level predators, resulting in the ecological release of prey such as sea urchins and coraleating invertebrates. When sea urchins are not common because of unsuitable habitat, recruitment limitations, and diseases, and when overfishing removes herbivorous fish, frondose brown algae can dominate. Terrigenous sediments carried onto reefs as a result of increased soil erosion largely promote the dominance of turf or articulated green algae. Elevated nutrients and organic matter can increase internal eroders of reef substratum and a mixture of filamentous algae. Local conservation actions that attempt to reduce fishing and terrestrial influences promote the high production of inorganic carbon that is necessary for reef growth. However, global climate change threatens to undermine such actions because of increased bleaching and mortality caused by warm-water anomalies, weakened coral skeletons caused by reduced aragonite availability in reef waters, and increased incidence of diseases in coral reef species. Consequently, many coral reefs, including those that are heavily managed, have experienced net losses in accumulated inorganic carbon in recent decades and appear likely to continue this trend in coming decades. Reefs urgently need to be managed with a view to strengthening their resilience to the increased frequency and intensity of these pressures. Ecological targets must include the restoration or maintenance of species diversity, keystone species, spatial heterogeneity, refugia, and connectivity. Achieving these goals will require unprecedented cooperative synergy between human organizations at all political levels, from intergovernmental to local.

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“…conditions over the reefs (Pequignet et al 2011), or the fate of storm deposits (Scoffin 1993). However, few studies have focused on the hydrodynamic and morphodynamic processes driving changes in reef-fringed beach morphology during a TC.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of a fringing reef coastline to the direct impact of a tropical cyclone

Cuttler

Hansen

Lowe

et al. 2018

Limnol Oceanogr Letters

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Tropical cyclones generate extreme hazards along coastlines, often leading to losses of life and property. Although coral reefs exist in cyclone-prone regions globally, few studies have measured the hydrodynamic conditions and morphological responses of reef-fringed coastlines to tropical cyclones. Here, we examine the impact of Tropical Cyclone Olwyn on a section of Australia's largest fringing reef (Ningaloo Reef) using in situ wave and water level observations, topographic surveys, and numerical modeling. Despite forereef significant wave heights reaching 6 m and local winds of 140 km h 21 , average beach volume change was only 23 m 3 m 21 . The results indicate that this erosion was due to locally generated wind waves within the lagoon rather than the offshore waves that were dissipated on the reef crest. A comparison of these volume changes to observations of tropical cyclone impacts along exposed sandy beaches quantitatively demonstrates the substantial coastal protection reefs can provide against extreme storms.The coastal impacts of tropical cyclones (TCs), namely erosion, flooding, and habitat destruction, have been well documented globally (Castillo et al. 2012;Woodruff et al. 2013). Existing studies of TC impacts on coral reef-fringed coastlines have primarily focused on the impact to the coral communities (Harmelin-Vivien 1994), the hydrodynamic *Correspondence: michael.cuttler@uwa.edu.au Author Contribution Statement: MVWC collected and analyzed the field data, developed and analyzed the numerical model, and wrote the manuscript. JEH helped with data analysis and interpretation, model development and analysis, and provided critical review of the manuscript. RJL helped with experimental design, data and model interpretation, and provided critical review of the manuscript. EJFD developed the regional-scale model and helped with development and validation of the local model. Data Availability Statement:The metadata and specific data files used in the analyses described in the text and Supporting Information are accessible at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1162945Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Scientific Significance StatementTropical cyclones can have catastrophic consequences for coastal infrastructure, marine habitats, and coastal populations worldwide. However, coral reefs can provide natural coastal protection by reducing the amount of wave energy reaching coastlines. Here, we quantify the coastal protection afforded by a fringing reef from a direct tropical cyclone impact and show that the observed beach erosion was not associated with the magnitude of the extreme offshore waves, but rather due to local wind wave growth across the lagoon. These results can be applied to assess coastal hazards facing reef-fringed coastlines due to extreme ...

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The geological effects of hurricanes on coral reefs and the interpretation of storm deposits

Cited by 272 publications

References 46 publications

Colonization patterns of mobile cryptic animals into interstices of coral rubble

Colonization patterns of mobile cryptic animals into interstices of coral rubble

Ecological States and the Resilience of Coral Reefs

Response of a fringing reef coastline to the direct impact of a tropical cyclone

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