Year: 2000
Type: article
Abstract: We performed a survey on the present coral reef environment and coral growing conditions in the Okinawa Sekisei Lagoon in October 1998.Through measurements of water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a and nutrients in and around the lagoon, we sought the environmental factors that impacted on coral growth and coral reef development, mainly around the reef slope.Coral growth and coral reef development around the northern reef slope were better than around the southern reef slope.We found that, especially, bottom topography, water temperature and nutrients were the environmental factors related to the difference.We inferred that light and nutrients were more abundant around the northern reef slope which had a gentler slope, and, therefore, coral growth and coral reef development around the northern reef slope were better than around the southern reef slope.In addition, the change of coral reef environment with the passage of typhoon No. 10 was measured.It was confirmed that vertical mixing had become active and that the typhoon promoted homogenization of the surface water, whichi had the effect lowering the surface layer temperature.We surmised that the surface layer temperature had become too high because there were abnormally few typhoons in the summer when the coral bleaching phenomenon was observed in the sea area around the Sekisei Lagoon.
Language: Japanese
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7208576105