Duce, Stephanie, Vila-Concejo, Ana, Hamylton, Sarah, Bruce, Eleanor, and Webster, Jody M. (2014) Spur and groove distribution, morphology and relationship to relative wave exposure, Southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Journal of Coastal Research, 70. pp. 115-120.

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Abstract

Spur and groove features occur on the seaward reef slope of coral reefs around the world. They are believed to act as important natural breakwaters, regulating the hydrodynamic energy and nutrients received by reef platforms. They also represent one of the most diverse and productive zones of modern reefs. However, the formation processes and morphodynamics of spur and groove systems are poorly understood, particularly in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). This paper constitutes the first broad scale analysis of spur and groove systems in the Capricorn Bunker Group (CBG) in the southern GBR. It uses remotely sensed imagery coupled with ground-truthed data to measure groove length at four reefs (Wreck, Heron, One Tree and Lady Elliot). A total of 2621 grooves were digitised across the four study reefs. Groove length was found to vary both between and within the study reefs. The maximum groove length was 536 m. Average groove length ranged from 93 m at Wreck Reef to 32 m at Heron Reef. This data was compared to relative wave exposure estimates derived from the fetch scenario at each reef. Strong positive correlation was found with groove length increasing as wave exposure increased. Groove length was highly spatially dependant and varied around the reef platforms according to the degree of wave exposure. The longest grooves were found on the most exposed, eastern sides of all reefs. These results provide valuable insight into spur and groove function, formation and likely response to future environmental changes in the CBG and further afield.

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