Stieglitz, T., and Ridd, P. (2011) Of holes and depressions on the great barrier reef coast - and a physict's toolbox to study them. In: Abstracts from the Third Nereis Park Conference: benthic processes in a globally changing environment. pp. 29-30. From: Third Nereis Park Conference: benthic processes in a globally changing environment, 29-31 August 2011, Kristineberg, Sweden.

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Abstract

Like any other coastline of the world, the Great Barrier Reef's coast and seafloor is riddled with holes and depressions created by burrowing animals. We present an overview over studies of tidal irrigation of crustacean burrows in mangrove forests, and of mysterious (and not so mysterious) biogenic holes and mounds on the seafloor, surrounding coral reefs and shipwrecks. The important role of crustacean burrows to the health of mangrove forests will be discussed, and the role of seafloor bioturbators as habitat engineers for coral assemblages will be demonstrated.

A geophysical toolbox will be presented, which includes (a) centimeter-scale geoelectric methods to locate macroscopic burrows and investigate water flux through burrows, (b) mass balance of the natural radionuclide 222Rn to determine water exchange between mangrove forests and creeks (forest-scale) and (c) high resolution 3D mapping of the seafloor with multibeam echosounders to study the morphology of bioturbation features in greater than diving depth (decimeter to kilometer scale).

Item ID:	21463
Item Type:	Conference Item (Abstract / Summary)
Related URLs:	Organisation
Date Deposited:	02 Apr 2012 06:46
FoR Codes:	04 EARTH SCIENCES > 0403 Geology > 040305 Marine Geoscience @ 50% 05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0501 Ecological Applications > 050102 Ecosystem Function @ 50%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9605 Ecosystem Assessment and Management > 960503 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Coastal and Estuarine Environments @ 50% 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9611 Physical and Chemical Conditions of Water > 961102 Physical and Chemical Conditions of Water in Coastal and Estuarine Environments @ 50%
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