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The coral reefs of the Caribbean island of Grand Caymarl, British West
Indies, are natural habitah to a variety of marine organlsme, both e ,
invertebrate and vertebrate. Qualitative studies as well as measurements &,c.;L were made on one particular kopical reef in this region in an effort to create -
a zorlatioti of the reef by maririe life arid underlying sediment. Personal
abservatiorl and literature research have detersflined tfie existence of five
distinct zones. This consists of an inshore zarle, a reef fht, .a shallow terrace
reef, a deep terrace reef, and a deep fore reef. The marine life forms
characteristic to each zone as well as general interpretatioris of the gecdogy
Introduction
Coral reefs have only recently gained recognitioa tor their beauty, in . ,
step with the development of the Self -Contained Underwater Breathing
ppparatus (SCUBA) and extensive progress in Me field of marine science. 7
. i
The underwater civilizations of reefs around the are now acclairrled as
valua.ble ecosy ste ng the most fragile arid remarkable organisms
within th'eir sheltered marine environments. The Cayman Islands, nestled in
ttne Caribbean Sea between Cuba and Hie Central American mainland (See
Figure * 11, ar,e surrounded by these complex coriiriiunities. Here, as in other
mirig. .-' This paper, iti light c~f this, rr"ill discuss the zonation and species
. . Methods
\ land, and the number of slghti~igs within a zone was divided by M e
-- _ A--
Temperature Readings Off Seaview Reef
~ . T ~ ~ c . E J I 5pg.f efi:~o?;ii. #-. en??ifofimelit.. TuQr1g ffcifii tlie amount cf trapped - .
,-. .,+r.+,iitrll,-., . . .-. , +-.-. +- + iL + see$yls - - - t,&t lliese grso??+s, neafly 1 t,cB 2 fi! VAde (3.05 6 . 10 f t]), '-'
<h.: +; --, .sl P&T r,i, 2 I-.' .-. ;a *p .? -,-. +- . . . .
J . . . .: ; . + + v ~ J ~ IS ~r$!:jT:~?fL t.;ie s:(:joe $:3,4?3,33 tjie ?,qa.Jl, TT;+ i
. - - . &iijg~il ci + . +- I +- T T . , j T , : 7.-ls LTd;3iit .- .-., . - vlj .- cil+;3~ ~nlcil~ ':,= a ( 1 i 0 ieeij &e tcl - I L'
. - - - deo*" fgsrrlct.i+ns, pi e~.;~$ft.fiej&5: fee: Ijev+l~amejlt ccllitiriues (-4 r,~,,rv ~ t - - .* A. w d ,,# d d i A
.-.;,..,- + ,,,I!; f~f i1-f~ 450 1.c: q$G. A t;. , +Li&~tlly ~ea<;hifig . . *le dronizlf A i, ~;,,Gti-~ slopes :~aqri+- .-
%.,.-.-i , ... i+ 1-1 .-.*la~ ,:I.? , ,e b-.i-. , I 1.j; .- .- tjie ?;&ibie reef zctn:r(fji:tfiJ as seen at Seaview is sho?;,,7i1 in
7 . pjgzfe Z .>,. A ~ c e n i c sketch pif t j ] ~ qcljly a+-, .q I-..+- -. - 7 - i.-.+- --.-- . . . . . ., , ,, c.,li~, 6,- ~ ~ i + )= 1 ~ 1 ~ f ~ ; d ~ Q ~ ~ tp-- I.. h~ <-+<? -;..-. -- i.3 -. i I
- y*-r . . . . . ,3.1.;+ reel 1%; ~h~:;,,q-i Figufe i S j A .
- . - .
j,is;s GI maiine ',if% sight,ed cri arid arognd ze;2.yi"yn7 reef . q ~ , ? & > y i--: :-8 A L.P r. -- 3-*- :2I
.T;3p17 & * .> 7y1 .-2 - - - -2 1s.- . . - - . L.. - . I-+~:S!., I~ .~t j t~ i : . i~~ ~~f+~pfi;i!zs .-. i: ~;&fhin Qie reefs 2.nd tholr c<l;is~9j,erit:;
- . .-is .rllr .-. .-i ... +-i .,-. -. - a , +-, 7.- i- 1 -. 71,. + ,- 9 - J I.. yl*Li+-i &:z ; ,:i.L:l;y x'2,,
~ i - ~ . - . ijtiP , . ill+7.+-.-..-..-. i.ell.,tl-~t rzietz~iz ri.?:ir-. Yi"117:'. . . . .j ifl ulree carGc;~laf areas, & ~ i i . . . , 3 I-. U, "r~
A
. . . . ,..:-.freg~,.-.~;:~-+lflr r:?<+i;l .:, TT',- . ihfrr -?i--i -,.-.i f--- - f . - ? ~ T T - . i - + .-.iJ. -9 >-. -. . . ':': L i- . iL ,-: 8: 1.1,~ t+,!= IJ~I.- . id A l.-*l t: 121~~~Ai . Th+ ~ ~ ~ . ~ : ~ a.fid ril~re
- ._ - . ,-.;-l.~:i..-.,.,: . ypt-+-.3rz s , . cpp "& 5 .3fii-j T.~ '- L. L1+T 1 .. #4,5) .: +-A - <&*L..:L... Y! ---- ' i u ,.L. ?? 1 w; 5 ..-..> .-
'-8 3 I i
,tf c 9, dmiinant;?: 3 - . - . . ,i!i,2e: .-.._, . 5s ;a+ fi2.t& re~e;~;s, incfl-p.~lr~,yerl;ii= ( l i l " 4 FS' {':)>. '27 :-.,:;I.'. i-.-'.-..-, &. . .A--.- --.a,2 . A ., .-> &. .~!:% ,. - ! .-! z .L ,!:, . ud.i~.2c*.?-e<>~~~,
. . - . 'i 2 .> .- s 7 2 .i 2 $ 7 $37 : .- .,- - .-.. -* +-, ,I .: +-, .-4 .- * - - .-. - + ' ; 3 \ 1 1 c, .? . i' .2 j 7 q .) .z, 1 (- .:-, ;-.--:;,
!,. 1 ,, I. J , :: 5 -.: ,:3 ,. - > - - - . \ I . L I ,,.;>j., ~ i . l l C ; :z~i::~i~. J:I~.+ . - d J i l ~ l i i > i .4 1 . - , c * , ~ ,.- : - . -. J '-- i , ~ , j. -*.-I; is-.
Marine Life Observed
+-* +-. -. , i* 1-L lii!..il:&=,
E *-; +t1.-. C'.- +-'. z l i L - . ~ ~ : t ~ ~ ~ s I i
- .: . .-: .J (-. .- - - 2- ' . ~ , - i . ~ i z , . ~ ~ a . . + ..-.*.;!I ; ~ l ~ , ~ ~ i ~ ~ ~ I l ~ ~
,-- ? - ..,s;: 4;-> 5.;; .-. .-+-- ,..A L. ;. *ii..i . I \.'I i f i
[3, .- -. - - - **- L , 2 , ~ j l y y i i c ~ i + r Q!;s;.a~-
- . - . g - - " ,-+ +- suiii,i.ei:: - v-11 lief :iu..=.~-.vi
- 2. -1 - T;,C,-j .. T 11
t
chflstrI-ias Tree Worm - 4 peliOW - it;+-.,p CTy-.$i-:i-<p
.u.> d p . . L * & .
- 2 Eli:?& g;:lii xpnse
-. Fi+-,:.* 7 7 - - - - 1 i 1 L
,,', ;3.'5e '..'l-.:-..+-21-cg &\ L.!' ... L' r - .-,
A .-
L.2T'""'i"f f;' - ,-<&f CT; 21- - [ - ,-: a: y;:.. e i Ill:= ,..- L 11 2 12'2 -. * I-
- - .-' y . z,.,rj,A l:l;2,er -. S~fini:fp .. - - ...
1 ,;-..-. ,<iT;,T &, L,il.Jli!d y .-'
Bf3+- i-.j-iinq T,J3_Ise SE,QI -~~~ . L . i i . > * .-8 A '-5
&-QT;,T~~ Tube Spn:ze *-,
Corals and Algae Observed
~;3ble *3. C~r;g Pc1lpul;31ions m d Other Reef Organism uii 5ewie-v Reef
Shallow Terrace Reef Distribution * 1
Sediment 1 1.90X
Tfansect Data
Shallow Terrace Reef Transsctf 1 . .
Group Percentage of Total Area
Shillow Terrace Reel Dlstributlon Y2
Sediment
w a i s
e f t Ccrals
Transect Data
Shall s Terrace Reef TransectS2
reef. Sand, silt, and 1iiu.d deposits riiake I J . ~ 1.74% atid 2.14% of the deep fore
reef zone. I t is a t this point. mi the reef t.k-rat tlie larger oi the reef fish, \
:aicareous A1
n-calcareous kiyait
14.97
Sponges F i re C o r d s
Sof
~ e e p Terrace Reef Distribution '1 Stdiinmt. 5.315;
Cor
, . Transect Data
Deep Terrace Reef Transect* l
Group Percentage of Total Area
~ e e p Terrace Reef Distribution 2 1.502
Calcareous Algae 8.OOW
N o w a k a r e o u s Algae /'
i
Tfansect D a b
Deep Terrace Reef Transest*Z . .
Group Percsnhfe of Total Area
Deep Fore Reef Distribution * 1
Sediment 1.72Z Calczreous Algae g.f,g%
Stony Corals
2.25%
Transset Data
DeGp Fore Reef Transects l
Group orc cent age of Total Area
Deep Fare Reef Distr ibut ion ' 2
S e d k e n t 2 4: R
Corals ,402
'f'ransect Data
Deep Fore Reef TransectSZ
Discussion
&-;3fiage cahanc,es coral ~fo~ii,Tt.h tjy providing areas into vyq;ich cafais ~ 3 . n La 1-1
spread. In general, crjml reef sediment ranges from .2 rim to 5 mm. In
. . {,of31 c.. .. ., ttleI-pc.~lr-~; ,14.,, ,; ij'-' are c-ofilifiat+j ~ T \ T ca]ciiJ,?l; ~ari;;~*i.qt.+ 9-., . .. ,I..-. .-,Yi.>i A+-..-.-- < l..k$~.~ .- f
by 1 .-. - -. - . . . - I I,z,., ,,lii2ariisms afii:j f<;I;-rilirlg 3, rigid iyame?iiiyq~, Mest ~f +t .- ~-.- l i - - : - . . - .=- .-.A-.
, i' LS 'f l..ii+ .-:e~.Jliilyi~l-. l...iii
+ =-: ..-. . . c.Li-rr reef, t.lley;, 1s xl::ifod;_ti::ei:', ';:~?r ~2~t;lrlyi i;ofa:s 3ni-j calc;:t.rei>;js algae. It, $5 i A .-,
- - eq,ect.$d, as tile il-a;i,s&s oj '+;:iuiew - < .... feei slif3~;,;, t_liat perceyii;3.ges I s ijf
,-. .- .=,cl.jim+flt. is !q+at.ef- ?&eye ali;a,i fiats are mi:~re e:@nsiyeJ flarlely ifi tJie . '-:
ir-shafe, reef f iatI afilA shailo:;.~ &lrface reef 2r::lne. Tra~isp~rt⁣~n alsi:t 0 ~ ~ u . f ~ \
R E E F F L A T
Percentage Cover
Shallow Terrace Reef Transect Comparison
c9 1
ST9 Trans 1 a STR Trans2
1 Stony Ccirais
2 Soft Ccrais
3 F i r ? C W g ' j
4 Sponges
5 Non-caic A i g ~ e
6 Calcareous Algae
7 Sediment
Deep Terrace Reef Transect Comparison
Percentage Cover
@ CTR T r a n s i m DTR Trans2
3 fire C o r a i s
4 Soonr;e+
5 !ion-caic. Algae
6 Calcareous Aloae
2 3 4 5 6 7 7 Sediment
Percentage Cover
Deep Fore Reef Transect Cornparlson
1 Stony Corals
2 Sof t Corz!s
3 F!re Cora!,:
4 Sxnces
- s Non-cslc. Algae
6 Calc. Algae
of the coral reef.
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