Kingsford, M. J., Syms, C., Srinivasan, M., and Jones, G. P. (2019) Coral reef habitats and their influence on reef assemblages. In: Hutchings, Pat, Kingsford, Michael, and Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, (eds.) The Great Barrier Reef: Biology, Environment and Management. CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, VIC, Australia, pp. 51-62.

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Abstract

[Extract:] Coral reefs often characterise the immediate subtidal environment in tropical regions. Although any hard substratum can support corals, more generally the hard base (that may be 1–2 km thick on some reefs) consists mostly of dead corals. This base is generated by the death and assimilation of the carbonates fixed by coral polyps into the hard substratum and a veneer of live corals grows on this base (Chapter 9). The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is characterised by a mosaic of reefs of differing morphologies (Chapter 2) that stretch on a north– south axis for over 2000 km and in places up to 300 km wide. The architecture of individual reefs is largely based on a sculptured rock base and habitat-forming coral of different species that can vary depending on exposure to the predominant winds (i.e. windward and leeward sides of reefs). A key to understanding patterns of the diversity in species richness and diversity of functional groups of organisms lies in their habitat preferences and what is driving habitat heterogeneity

Item ID:	62437
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-1-4863-0820-0
Copyright Information:	© Australian Coral Reefs Society 2019
Date Deposited:	06 Mar 2020 06:16
FoR Codes:	41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4102 Ecological applications > 410203 Ecosystem function @ 100%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9608 Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity > 960808 Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity @ 100%
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