Algal turf sediments across the Great Barrier Reef: Putting coastal reefs in perspective

Title
Algal turf sediments across the Great Barrier Reef: Putting coastal reefs in perspective
Publication Date
2018-12
Author(s)
Tebbett, Sterling B
Goatley, Christopher H R
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2930-5591
Email: cgoatley@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:cgoatley
Bellwood, David R
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.056
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/26843
Abstract
Sediments trapped within algal turfs play a key role in mediating ecosystem processes on reefs. Despite this ecological importance, our understanding of turf-bound sediments on coastal reefs is limited, even though such reefs are heavily exposed to terrestrial sediments. We compared algal turf sediment loads, composition and grain size distributions among coastal reefs along the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and compared these to turf-bound sediments on reefs across the GBR. Algal turf sediment loads on coastal reefs were on average 9.4 times higher than offshore reefs (range 2.2–16.1 times). Among coastal reefs there was marked variability in the loads (797.87–3681.78 gm⁻²), composition (organics 1.0–8.9%; silicates 27.4–93.0%) and grain size of sediments. Our data highlight the potential variability in physical and ecological factors that control sediment dynamics on coastal reefs, including proximity to rivers, and reveal that turfs on coastal reefs are heavily influenced by sediments.
Link
Citation
Marine Pollution Bulletin, v.137, p. 518-525
ISSN
1879-3363
0025-326X
Pubmed ID
30503463
Start page
518
End page
525

Files:

NameSizeformatDescriptionLink