Coral Reef Ecosystems

Introduction to coral reefs

What is a coral reef
Biological (coral community)
Organic, Biogenic
Coral and Algal communities
Mostly hermatypic corals, algae, and other sessile
animals
Geological features (reef)
Carbonate
In situ buildup
Topographic relief
Wave resistant
Cemented, consolidated
Corals

Phylum Anthazoa
Class Cnidaria
Hermatypic (hard)
corals contain
symbiotic algae
Up to 500 spp. at
some sites

Rosen 1981
Building the reef
CaCo3 addition - CaCo3 loss = Accumulation

Biogenic production Biological erosion Reef Growth

Sediment Import Mechanical erosion

Cementation Sediment export,

dissolution

Kleypas et
al 2001
Types of reef

Fringing, Barrier, Atoll, Drowned

 Coral Reefs
What is a coral reef?
Habitat forming scleractinians
Different types of reef
Symbiosis
Biogeography
Controls on Biogeography
The value of reefs
What is a coral reef?
Reef
Feature lying beneath the surface of the water with which
a boat could get stuck on
Typically diverse assemblage of habitat forming
scleractinians
Mainly Shallow
Butnot always
Important engineers
Biodiversity
Rain forests of the ocean
Cover less than 1/10% of ocean floor
Habitat for 25% of all marine species
 What is a coral reef?
Scleractinians (primarily)
Other organisms also produce calcium carbonate structures
Forminifera, cocolithophores, pteropods, halimeda, red
algae, soft coral spicules, sponge spicules
Reef structure is cemented together by calcareous red
algae or by lithification
Organisms creating non-carbonate skeletons
Chitin, silica, gorgonin
Octocorals, sponges
Coral Reefs of the World
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Largest coral reef in the world, 2600km
Belize Barrier Reef
Second largest in the world
New Caledonia Barrier Reef
Second longest double barrier reef 1500km
Andros Barrier Reef
3rd largest barrier reef, 167km long and 64km wide
Red Sea Coral Reef
Egypt & Saudi Arabia
Pulley Ridge
Florida, Deepest photosynthetic coral reef, 60m deep
Scleractinian morphology
Branching
Often fast growing
Plate-like
Often found in deeper environments
Massive/lobed
Generally slower growing, k-selected
Encrusting
Sometimes parasitic
Branching
Plate Like
Massive, Lobed
Encrusting
Types of Reef
4 Main types of reef
Fringing, Barrier, Patch and Atoll
Also Apron, Bank, Ribbon & Table

Fringing reef
a reef that is directly attached to a shore or borders it with
an intervening shallow channel or lagoon
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Bora Bora
Types of Reef

Barrier Reef
a reef separated from a mainland or island shore by a deep
lagoon
Great Barrier Reef - Australia
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Types of Reef
Patch Reef
an isolated, often circular reef, usually within a lagoon or
embayment
Outer edge of each patch reef is surrounded by a halo of
sand that extends out to adjacent seagrass beds.
The width of this ring of sand is determined by the distance
that herbivorous fish feel is within safe foraging range from
the reef.
Florida
Types of Reef

Atoll Reef
a more or less circular or continuous barrier reef extending
all the way around a lagoon without a central island
Midway, Hawaiian Islands
 Midway

Maldives
Atoll Formation
Island erosion
Island sinking
Reef accretion
Reef Zones

Spur and groove formation

 Coral reef distribution
Coral diversity patterns
Biogeography
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
1. Head Corals
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
1. Head Corals

-Depths of 5-10 m
Montastrea annularis,
Montastrea cavernosa,
Porites astreoides,
Colpophyllia natans
and species of Diploria.

These corals are massive and

usually boulder-like
and resistant to storm disturbance
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
2. Acropora palmata Zone
 Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
2. Acropora palmata Zone

-high to moderate energy reefs

-weaker than head corals but
orients branches to minimize
shear forces
-faster grower
-needs waves to wash sediment
off
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
3. Mixed Zone
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
3. Mixed Zone
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
3. Mixed Zone

-area on the forereef

of most diverse coral
growth
-lower wave energy
but still good light
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
4. Sand Areas
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
4. Sand Areas
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
5. Plate Zone
Coral Reef Zones - Coral Zones
5. Plate Zone

-favours growth of plate-like

forms of a species or plate-like
species to capture most light

-corals are more fragile

1. Faktor - faktor lingkungan
yang berperan di dalam
ekosistem terumbu karang;
2. Pertumbuhan karang dan
perkembangan terumbu;
3. Interaksi yang terjadi di
dalam ekosistem terumbu
karang