The importance of large benthic foraminifera to reef island sediment budget and dynamics at Raine Island, northern Great Barrier Reef

Dawson, John; Smithers, Scott G.; Hua, Quan

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.03.023

Cited by 67 publications

(66 citation statements)

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“…The predominance of foraminifera in reef sediment facies reflect the large proportion of suitable habitat on the reef flat (Fig. 2C), their high productivity (Fujita et al 2009;Dawson et al 2014), and the propensity for entrainment and transport of their tests (Yamano et al 2000;Yordanova and Hohenegger 2007). For example, living Baculogypsina are concentrated in the algal-turf zone covering 45% of the reef flat area FIG.…”

Section: Sediment Texture and Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on drilling data, reef-flat development began after about 6300 years BP and was well established by 4700 years BP (Hopley et al 2007). Following the development of the reef flat, active coral growth has been restricted mainly to the platform periphery as habitat for foraminifera on the sea-level-constrained portions of the reef flat likely has increased (Yamano et al 2000;Dawson et al 2014). The reef platform is elliptic, with a long axis (SE-NW) of approximately 2.9 km and a platform breadth ranging from 0.4 to 0.9 km (Fig.…”

Section: Geologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…from each sample (n 5 46) under binocular microscope and assigned to one of three distinct taphonomic grades: pristine, moderately abraded, and severely abraded (Dawson et al 2014). Overall condition was measured by several specific criteria recognizable using optical microscopy and after predetermining a gradient, from unaltered to most extensively altered, using SEM images (refer to Supplemental Materials for details on taphonomic classification).…”

Section: Serpulidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Carbonate sediments can also be nonskeletal in nature (e.g., ooids, peloids), but these types are predominantly found in the Caribbean and rarely occur throughout the Indo-Pacific (Milliman 1974;Gischler 2011). Following production, the detrital sediment is either reincorporated into the reef framework (Hubbard et al 1990), exported off-reef (Hughes 1999;Morgan and Kench 2014), or deposited on-reef as sedimentary landforms (e.g., cays, sand aprons, beaches) (Gischler and Lomando 1999;Rankey et al 2011;Dawson et al 2014;Harris et al 2014). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Analysis of spatial patterns of ecological zonation for carbonateproducing reef organisms, together with the traits and distribution of contemporary sediment facies, form the basis of studies on sediment production, transport, redistribution, and taphonomy in carbonate reef settings Smithers 1994;Gischler and Lomando 1999;Harney et al 2000;Hart 2008;Dawson et al 2014). However, the full variability of spatial and temporal scales at which these processes operate are still not well understood (Perry et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Carbonate Sediment Production, Transport, and Supply To A Coral Cay At Raine Reef, Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia: A Facies Approach

Dawson¹,

Smithers²

2014

Journal of Sedimentary Research

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Coral cays are low-lying (typically , 5 m above mean sea level) accumulations of calcareous sediment derived from biota on the adjacent reef. They provide areas of societal refuge and support significant ecosystems and economic services. Although environmental controls on cay development are relatively well understood, the precise links between reef ecology, sediment production, and supply to reef islands are less well constrained. Here we identify the major controls on development of sediment facies on a wave-dominated Holocene reef platform on the northern Great Barrier Reef. Remote-sensing data, field observations, and sedimentological analysis (grain size, composition, and taphonomy) reveal sediment transport pathways critical for the development of a coral cay. Collectively, our data reveal six distinct facies types that are chiefly distinguished by the percentage of gravels (. 2 mm grain size) and the relative abundances of foraminifera and coral grains. Gravelly coraldominated sediment is concentrated at the reef margins, whereas facies on and around the leeward cay are dominated by the sand-size tests of benthic foraminifera. Mud is absent in reef sediments and reflects the prevailing high-energy wave-dominated setting as well as a paucity of mud producers. Benthic foraminifera tests are the major sediment component, constituting an average proportion of 39% (range: 2-77%). Sediment derived from the skeletal remains of corals (24%, 1-65%), mollusks (15%, 3-30%), Halimeda (14%, 4-36%), and coralline algae (6%, 0-20%) are present in lesser volumes. Foraminifera content is highest (. 40%) on tidally emergent algal pavement, where they live in greatest abundance, and on the cay shorelines, where their tests are deposited and comprise the bulk of beach sand (36-63%). A comparison of the Raine Island data with other exposed modern reefs and platforms of the central and western Pacific shows that occurrence and distribution of facies types is broadly consistent. Beyond these sedimentological data, the taphonomy of foraminifera at Raine Island indicates that tests are vulnerable to destruction due to abrasion when transport and reworking is prolonged. Therefore the foraminifera-rich facies adjacent to and on the cay, disjunct from the source zones, as well as taphonomic evidence, imply that transport from the outer reef flat to the cay must be relatively quick. These short temporal links between ecological source zones and depositional landforms are likely to have important ramifications for the contemporary management of reef-associated landforms (e.g., cays) in the future.

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Section: Sediment Texture and Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Serpulidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Carbonate Sediment Production, Transport, and Supply To A Coral Cay At Raine Reef, Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia: A Facies Approach

Dawson¹,

Smithers²

2014

Journal of Sedimentary Research

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Reef island evolution in a turbid‐water coral reef province of the Indo‐Pacific

Bonesso

Cuttler

Mather

et al. 2023

The Depositional Record

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Coral reef islands are vulnerable landforms to environmental change. Constructed of largely unconsolidated reef‐derived sediments, they are highly sensitive to variations in metocean boundary conditions, raising global concern about their future resilience and stability in the face of increased natural hazards, sea‐level rise and anthropogenic climate change. This study examines the evolution of an inshore turbid reef island from the southern Pilbara region of Western Australia (Indo‐Pacific) using detailed analyses of island chronostratigraphy (composition, texture) and geochronology (21 in‐situ radiometric dates) from Eva Island. Downcore, composition of island‐grade (reef‐derived) sediments were homogenous, dominated by molluscan (37%–42%) and coral (32%–37%) constituents. The 14C radiometric dating of island sediments, beachrock and coral microatolls identified five stages of island formation across changing sea‐level regimes over the mid to late Holocene: (1) limestone platform accretion at ca 6,000 cal yr BP, coinciding with reef decline or ‘give‐up’ on neighbouring Exmouth Gulf reefs; (2) sand cay (i.e. core) initiation and vertical aggregation at ca 5,000 cal yr BP during the point of sea‐level regression to current levels; (3) major accretion and lateral progradation of the island between 3,500 cal yr BP and 2,500 cal yr BP including the modification of island shorelines through alongshore reworking of sediment; (4) lateral accretion and minor expansion to the north and formation of beachrock pavement between 2,500 and 650 cal yr BP; and (5) planform adjustment (erosion of the north‐west island) and backstepping under stabilised sea levels over the past 650 years. While this model is comparative to studies on island formation following incremental sea‐level fall following the mid‐Holocene highstand, it demonstrates active landform readjustment under stabilised sea levels over the past 2,000 years, probably the influence of local‐scale metocean boundary conditions within climate windows across the mid to late Holocene period (i.e. independent of sea‐level fluctuations). Importantly, while sediment production rates are predicted to be lower in turbid‐water reef systems than clear water, Eva Island shows no change in carbonate producers (i.e. proportion of mollusc and coral) over the course of island building, indicating the carbonate factory has not experienced significant adjustments in reef ecology, but has remained stable despite low water quality.

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Cays

Smithers¹,

Hopley²

2018

Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series

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The importance of large benthic foraminifera to reef island sediment budget and dynamics at Raine Island, northern Great Barrier Reef

Cited by 67 publications

References 58 publications

Carbonate Sediment Production, Transport, and Supply To A Coral Cay At Raine Reef, Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia: A Facies Approach

Carbonate Sediment Production, Transport, and Supply To A Coral Cay At Raine Reef, Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia: A Facies Approach

Reef island evolution in a turbid‐water coral reef province of the Indo‐Pacific

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