Factors Controlling Sponge Boring in Barbados Reef Corals
MacGeachy JK. 1977. Factors Controlling Sponge Boring in Barbados Reef Corals. Pages 477-483. In Proceedings, Third International Coral Reef Symposium. Miami, FL. 1977. Proceedings of the International Coral Reef Symposium
The boring sponge fauna of Barbados reef corals includes 14 clionid species, 3 species of Siphonodictyon, 1 spirastrellid, 2 species of Alecton, 1 Acarnus or Acanthacarnus species and several unidentified species. Sponges account for 90% or more of the total boring in most coral heads. The volume removed by boring sponges from Montastrea annularis ranges from 2.5 to 23% in deeper reef environments in Barbados and from 0.8 to 8.9% on a shallow water reef. Corresponding figures for Siderastrea siderea are 1.1 to 18.9% and 0 to 5.3% and for Porites astreoides 0 to 22.4% and 0 to 11.6%. Factors controlling the extent of sponge boring in corals are coral growth morphology and growth rate, sponge boring rate and biomass and growth of encrusting organisms.
- Type
- Conference Proceeding Paper
- Authors
- MacGeachy, James
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- Clionids, encrustation, Morphology, Siphonodictyon, Spirastrellids