(Montastrea cavernosa, M. annularis complex) were the dominant species with a mean
substrate cover of 2.5 and 2.4 %, respectively. Lettuce coral (Agaricia spp) and maze
coral (Meandrina meandrites) were also common, with colonies present in at least
out of the six transects surveyed. The mea
four
n density of coral colonies within transects
as 3.2 col/m
2 (range: 2.1 – 4.3 col/m
2
) (Table 30). Again, the dominant species in
terms of density of colonies were the great and boulder star corals (M. cavernosa, M.
annularis complex) with 0.75 and 0.62 col/m
2
, respectively. The Shannon-Weiner index
of diversity for scleractinian corals within video-transects averaged 1.68 (range: 1.27 –
1.97) (Table 31). Transect 1 presented the highest diversity with a total of 11 colonies
distributed in eight species, whereas transect 6 had the lowest diversity with 24 colonies
distributed in six species. Coral species saturation reached an asymptotic trend at the
fourth transect (Figure12). The variability of percent live coral cover associated with the
number of replicate transects surveyed declined to 32 % by the fifth transect, but
increased again with the sixth transect (up to 70 %) as a large coral head was present in
the last transect (Figure13). The variability asso
ther reef benthic categories
declined consistently with the increasing number of transects, stabilizing at 33% or less
Soft corals, or gorgonians were rare at the SW Wall Reef. None were present within
transect areas and only a few small colonies of sea plumes (Pseudopterogorgia sp.)
were observed during random swim surveys.
Table 30. Density of scleractinian coral and hydrocoral colonies within video-transect areas
at a depth of 30 meters, SW Wall Reef during 2004.
Coral and Hydrocoral Species
T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T6
Mean
w
ciated with o
by the sixth transect in all cases.
Agaricia sp 0.22
0.33
0.52
0.52
0.16
0.29
Montastrea cavernosa 0.44
0.17
0.52
0.76
0.87
1.76
0.75
Montastrea faveolata 0.22
1.33
0.52
0.19
1.44
0.62
Montastrea franksi 0.22
0.16
0.06
Diploria strigosa
0.38
0.06
Diploria clivosa
0.19
0.03
Porites astreoides 0.22
0.83
0.19
0.87
0.16
0.38
Meandrina meandrites 0.22
0.83
0.17
0.38
0.35
0.33
Colpophyllia natans
0.17
0.03
Eusmilia fastigiata 0.22
0.17
0.17
0.09
Siderastrea siderea 0.66
1.04
0.87
0.43
Madracis decactis
0.50
0.17
0.17
0.16
0.17
TOTAL (colonies/m2) =
2.41
4.33
2.60
2.08
3.65
3.85
3.24
108
substrate cover of 2.5 and 2.4 %, respectively. Lettuce coral (Agaricia spp) and maze
coral (Meandrina meandrites) were also common, with colonies present in at least
out of the six transects surveyed. The mea
four
n density of coral colonies within transects
as 3.2 col/m
2 (range: 2.1 – 4.3 col/m
2
) (Table 30). Again, the dominant species in
terms of density of colonies were the great and boulder star corals (M. cavernosa, M.
annularis complex) with 0.75 and 0.62 col/m
2
, respectively. The Shannon-Weiner index
of diversity for scleractinian corals within video-transects averaged 1.68 (range: 1.27 –
1.97) (Table 31). Transect 1 presented the highest diversity with a total of 11 colonies
distributed in eight species, whereas transect 6 had the lowest diversity with 24 colonies
distributed in six species. Coral species saturation reached an asymptotic trend at the
fourth transect (Figure12). The variability of percent live coral cover associated with the
number of replicate transects surveyed declined to 32 % by the fifth transect, but
increased again with the sixth transect (up to 70 %) as a large coral head was present in
the last transect (Figure13). The variability asso
ther reef benthic categories
declined consistently with the increasing number of transects, stabilizing at 33% or less
Soft corals, or gorgonians were rare at the SW Wall Reef. None were present within
transect areas and only a few small colonies of sea plumes (Pseudopterogorgia sp.)
were observed during random swim surveys.
Table 30. Density of scleractinian coral and hydrocoral colonies within video-transect areas
at a depth of 30 meters, SW Wall Reef during 2004.
Coral and Hydrocoral Species
T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T6
Mean
w
ciated with o
by the sixth transect in all cases.
Agaricia sp 0.22
0.33
0.52
0.52
0.16
0.29
Montastrea cavernosa 0.44
0.17
0.52
0.76
0.87
1.76
0.75
Montastrea faveolata 0.22
1.33
0.52
0.19
1.44
0.62
Montastrea franksi 0.22
0.16
0.06
Diploria strigosa
0.38
0.06
Diploria clivosa
0.19
0.03
Porites astreoides 0.22
0.83
0.19
0.87
0.16
0.38
Meandrina meandrites 0.22
0.83
0.17
0.38
0.35
0.33
Colpophyllia natans
0.17
0.03
Eusmilia fastigiata 0.22
0.17
0.17
0.09
Siderastrea siderea 0.66
1.04
0.87
0.43
Madracis decactis
0.50
0.17
0.17
0.16
0.17
TOTAL (colonies/m2) =
2.41
4.33
2.60
2.08
3.65
3.85
3.24
108