Abstract:This work analyzes the mortality, recovery, and shifts in the composition of scleractinian corals in Puerto Rico one decade after the 2005 regional coral bleaching event. Temporal and spatial patterns of coral community structure were examined using a stratified, nonrandom sampling approach based on five permanent transects per reef at 16 reef stations.A negative correlation between percent coral cover loss and light attenuation coefficient (Kd 490 ) was observed, suggesting that water turbidity played a major… Show more
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