Abstract
Formerly attributed to human activity, the demise of a bank-barrier reef off southeastern Barbados known as Cobbler's Reef is now thought to be largely the result of late Holocene, millennial-scale storm damage. Eleven surface samples of the reef crest coral Acropora palmata from nine sites along its 15-km length plot above the western Atlantic sea-level curve from 3,000 to 4,500 cal years ago (calibrated, calendar 14C years). These elevated clusters suggest that the reef complex suffered extensive storm damage during this period. The constant heavy wave action typical of this area and consequent low herbivory maintain conditions favoring algal growth, thereby limiting the reestablishment of post-storm reef framework. Site descriptions and detailed line surveys show a surface now composed mainly of reworked fragments of A. palmata covered with algal turf, macroalgae and crustose coralline algae. The reef contains no live A. palmata and only a few scattered coral colonies consisting primarily of Diploria spp. and Porites astreoides, along with the hydrocoral Millepora complanata. A few in situ framework dates plot at expected depths for normal coral growth below the sea-level curve during and after the period of intense storm activity. The most recent of these in situ samples are 320 and 400 cal years old. Corals of this late period likely succumbed to high turbidity associated with land clearance for sugarcane agriculture in the mid-1600s.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 765-773 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Coral Reefs |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2007 |
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Keywords
- Acropora palmata
- Algal cover
- Reef demise
- Storm damage
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aquatic Science
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The demise of a major Acropora palmata bank-barrier reef off the southeast coast of Barbados, West Indies. / Macintyre, I. G.; Glynn, P. W.; Toscano, M. A.
In: Coral Reefs, Vol. 26, No. 4, 01.12.2007, p. 765-773.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The demise of a major Acropora palmata bank-barrier reef off the southeast coast of Barbados, West Indies
AU - Macintyre, I. G.
AU - Glynn, P. W.
AU - Toscano, M. A.
PY - 2007/12/1
Y1 - 2007/12/1
N2 - Formerly attributed to human activity, the demise of a bank-barrier reef off southeastern Barbados known as Cobbler's Reef is now thought to be largely the result of late Holocene, millennial-scale storm damage. Eleven surface samples of the reef crest coral Acropora palmata from nine sites along its 15-km length plot above the western Atlantic sea-level curve from 3,000 to 4,500 cal years ago (calibrated, calendar 14C years). These elevated clusters suggest that the reef complex suffered extensive storm damage during this period. The constant heavy wave action typical of this area and consequent low herbivory maintain conditions favoring algal growth, thereby limiting the reestablishment of post-storm reef framework. Site descriptions and detailed line surveys show a surface now composed mainly of reworked fragments of A. palmata covered with algal turf, macroalgae and crustose coralline algae. The reef contains no live A. palmata and only a few scattered coral colonies consisting primarily of Diploria spp. and Porites astreoides, along with the hydrocoral Millepora complanata. A few in situ framework dates plot at expected depths for normal coral growth below the sea-level curve during and after the period of intense storm activity. The most recent of these in situ samples are 320 and 400 cal years old. Corals of this late period likely succumbed to high turbidity associated with land clearance for sugarcane agriculture in the mid-1600s.
AB - Formerly attributed to human activity, the demise of a bank-barrier reef off southeastern Barbados known as Cobbler's Reef is now thought to be largely the result of late Holocene, millennial-scale storm damage. Eleven surface samples of the reef crest coral Acropora palmata from nine sites along its 15-km length plot above the western Atlantic sea-level curve from 3,000 to 4,500 cal years ago (calibrated, calendar 14C years). These elevated clusters suggest that the reef complex suffered extensive storm damage during this period. The constant heavy wave action typical of this area and consequent low herbivory maintain conditions favoring algal growth, thereby limiting the reestablishment of post-storm reef framework. Site descriptions and detailed line surveys show a surface now composed mainly of reworked fragments of A. palmata covered with algal turf, macroalgae and crustose coralline algae. The reef contains no live A. palmata and only a few scattered coral colonies consisting primarily of Diploria spp. and Porites astreoides, along with the hydrocoral Millepora complanata. A few in situ framework dates plot at expected depths for normal coral growth below the sea-level curve during and after the period of intense storm activity. The most recent of these in situ samples are 320 and 400 cal years old. Corals of this late period likely succumbed to high turbidity associated with land clearance for sugarcane agriculture in the mid-1600s.
KW - Acropora palmata
KW - Algal cover
KW - Reef demise
KW - Storm damage
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=37249005991&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=37249005991&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00338-007-0259-1
DO - 10.1007/s00338-007-0259-1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:37249005991
VL - 26
SP - 765
EP - 773
JO - Coral Reefs
JF - Coral Reefs
SN - 0722-4028
IS - 4
ER -