Effect of Hurricane Hugo on the primary framework of reefs along the south shore of St John, US Virgin Islands
Edmunds PJ and Whitman JD. 1991. Effect of Hurricane Hugo on the primary framework of reefs along the south shore of St John, US Virgin Islands. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 78:201-204
Looked at hurricane-induced changes in benthic species (primarily Montastrea annularis) along an established study transect in Greater Lameshur Bay. Hurricane Hugo (1989) severely damaged the framebuilding coral Montastrea annularis on the shallow reefs in Greater Lameshur Bay, St. John. Before the storm these reefs were dominated by M. annularis and a permanent study area was established at 10m depth to monitor changes in abundance of this species. The storm destroyed, on average, >33% of the live cover of M. annularis in the study area. Post-hurricane reefs contained numerous detached colonies in piles or packed into cavities within the reef framework, large areas of vacant hard substratum and extensive growths of the red algae Liagora spp. Video transects (80 m2) at the same depth and on either side of the study area showed that this damage was patchy. Although these reefs may remain dominated by M. annularis it is possible that the scleractinian fauna will change as a result of colonization by other coral species and delayed mortality of detached M. annularis colonies.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Edmunds, Peter; Whitman, Jon
- Units
- VIIS
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Boulder Star Coral (Montastrea annularis), Coral, Greater Lameshur Bay, Hurricane Hugo, Hurricanes, St. John, Transects, US Virgin Islands