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Material Information
- Title:
- Physical drivers of community structure and growth among mesophotic coral ecosystems surrounding St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Physical drivers of community structure and growth among mesophotic coral ecosystems surrounding St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands
- Series Title:
- UVI Thesis
- Creator:
- Groves, Sarah H
- Place of Publication:
- St. Thomas, V.I.
- Publisher:
- University of the Virgin Islands
- Publication Date:
- 2016
- Language:
- English
- Physical Description:
- 39 pages, 6 unnumbered pages : illustrations; 29 cm
Notes
- Abstract:
- Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are deep, light-dependent communities that are abundant in the northern US Virgin Islands. Compared to their shallow water counterparts, MCEs remain understudied. South of St. Thomas, mesophotic coral cover on Orbicella dominated reefs can reach 50%, but observations of the northern shelf at similar depths suggest limited coral cover. The cause and extent of these deferences is unknown. Usually spatially explicit observations of coral health, species abundances, and coral population densities, we compared northern shelf bank MCEs to previously studied MCEs south of St. Thomas. We predict slower growth rates of mesophotic corals north of St. Thomas, corresponding to increased turbidity and lower light conditions, more frequent disturbance such as chronic swell, as well as nutrient loading and thermal stress associated with upwelling.
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