Bibliography
Carr, A. P., 1982. Boulder. The Encyclopedia of Beaches and
Coastal Environments. In Schwartz, M. L. (ed.), Stroudsburg,
Pennsylvania, Hutchison Ross.
Howell, J. V., 1957. Dictionary of Geological Terms. American
Geological Institute, New York.
Pirazzoli, P. A., 1987. A reconnaissance and geomorphological survey of Temoe Atoll, Gambier Islands (South Pacific). Journal of
Coastal Research, 3(3), 307–323.
Scheffers, A., 2005. Coastal response to extreme wave events: hurricanes and tsunami on Bonaire. Essener Geographische
Arbeiten, 37, 1–96.
Schwartz, M. L. (ed.), 2005. Encyclopedia of Coastal Science.
Berlin: Springer.
Williams, E. H., Bartels, P. J., and Bunkley-Williams, L., 1999.
Predicted disappearance of coral-reef ramparts: a direct result
of major ecological disturbances. Global Change Biology, 5(8),
839–845.
Cross-references
Algal Rims
Boulder Beaches
Conglomerates
Platforms (Cemented)
Shingle Ridges
Tropical Cyclone/Hurricane
Tsunami
BRAZIL, CORAL REEFS
Zelinda M. A. N. Leão, Ruy K. P. Kikuchi
Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Synonyms
Coral Reefs of the Southwestern Atlantic
Definition
Brazil: The largest country in the South American continent, with an area of 8,512,000 km
2 and a coastal zone that
extends for approximately 9,200 km.
Brazilian coral reefs: The southernmost reefs of the
Western Atlantic Ocean.
Introduction
French biologist Jacques Laborel (1969, 1970) published
the first comprehensive description of the Brazilian reefs.
Earlier nineteenth century reports by visiting scientists
such as Darwin (1851), Hartt (1868a, b, 1870), and
Rathbun (1876, 1878) described the unusual characteristics of the Brazilian reefs: their almost unique mushroom-like growth forms (chapeirão) and the strong
endemism and low diversity of the coral fauna. Interest
in the studies of Brazilian reefs has increased over the last
two decades for several reasons: an increasing number of
Brazilian researchers have been studying reefs; reef areas
have become increasingly degraded; and Brazilian reefs
have been recognized as an important example of reef
growth under marginal environmental conditions. Recent
research has included more detailed surveys of the reef
environment and the analysis of quantitative databases in
numerous articles, theses, and dissertations, as well as
technical reports. These publications mainly describe the
coral fauna, its endemism, and the adaptation of a low
diversity fauna to a highly siliciclastic muddy environment; the fauna and flora of the reef communities; the classification and distribution of the major Brazilian reef
systems; the aspects that influenced the Quaternary evolution of these reef systems; and the conservation, protection, and management of these reefs, including reviews
of the major natural and anthropogenic impacts that
threaten Brazilian coral reef ecosystems.
Regional setting
The Brazilian coastal zone presents a very diverse suite of
environments that evolved during the Quaternary period
in response to climate and sea level changes. These evolutionary changes were controlled by variations in the sediment supply and a geological heritage dating to the
Gondwana break up in South America and Africa during
the Mesozoic period. During the Quaternary period,
changes in the relative sea level and climate added younger morphological elements such as tidal flats, wetlands,
coastal dune fields, and coral reefs to the coastal zone
(Dominguez, 2009).
The continental shelf along the tropical coast of Brazil
has a relatively low relief and is very narrow (an average
width of 50 km), extending up to 200 km at its southern
portion and forming the Royal Charlotte and the Abrolhos
banks. The shelf break occurs between depths of 60 and
80 m. Tidal variation range from micro- to meso-tides,
with spring tides varying from 1.7 m at the southernmost
region to 3.0 m at the extreme north.
According to Bittencourt et al. (2005), the most significant wave front directions are northeast, east, southeast,
and south–southeast. North and east waves have periods
of 5 s and heights of 1.0 m, while southeast and south–
southeast waves have periods of 6.5 s and heights of
1.5 m.
Coral reefs are primarily distributed along the northeastern and eastern Brazilian coast and are less common
on the continental shelf in the northern part of the country,
a region influenced by muddy sediments from the Amazon River (Figure 1). Nearshore shallow banks and fringing reefs are common within siliciclastic sandy and muddy
sediments, and offshore reefs are located in a carbonatedominated province (Leão et al., 2003).
Reef-building coral fauna
The Brazilian coral fauna (Scleractinia) has three distinctive characteristics: (a) it has a very low diversity coral
fauna (21 species) compared with that of the Caribbean
or the Indo-Pacific reefs; (b) the major reef builders are
168
BRAZIL, CORAL REEFS
Carr, A. P., 1982. Boulder. The Encyclopedia of Beaches and
Coastal Environments. In Schwartz, M. L. (ed.), Stroudsburg,
Pennsylvania, Hutchison Ross.
Howell, J. V., 1957. Dictionary of Geological Terms. American
Geological Institute, New York.
Pirazzoli, P. A., 1987. A reconnaissance and geomorphological survey of Temoe Atoll, Gambier Islands (South Pacific). Journal of
Coastal Research, 3(3), 307–323.
Scheffers, A., 2005. Coastal response to extreme wave events: hurricanes and tsunami on Bonaire. Essener Geographische
Arbeiten, 37, 1–96.
Schwartz, M. L. (ed.), 2005. Encyclopedia of Coastal Science.
Berlin: Springer.
Williams, E. H., Bartels, P. J., and Bunkley-Williams, L., 1999.
Predicted disappearance of coral-reef ramparts: a direct result
of major ecological disturbances. Global Change Biology, 5(8),
839–845.
Cross-references
Algal Rims
Boulder Beaches
Conglomerates
Platforms (Cemented)
Shingle Ridges
Tropical Cyclone/Hurricane
Tsunami
BRAZIL, CORAL REEFS
Zelinda M. A. N. Leão, Ruy K. P. Kikuchi
Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Synonyms
Coral Reefs of the Southwestern Atlantic
Definition
Brazil: The largest country in the South American continent, with an area of 8,512,000 km
2 and a coastal zone that
extends for approximately 9,200 km.
Brazilian coral reefs: The southernmost reefs of the
Western Atlantic Ocean.
Introduction
French biologist Jacques Laborel (1969, 1970) published
the first comprehensive description of the Brazilian reefs.
Earlier nineteenth century reports by visiting scientists
such as Darwin (1851), Hartt (1868a, b, 1870), and
Rathbun (1876, 1878) described the unusual characteristics of the Brazilian reefs: their almost unique mushroom-like growth forms (chapeirão) and the strong
endemism and low diversity of the coral fauna. Interest
in the studies of Brazilian reefs has increased over the last
two decades for several reasons: an increasing number of
Brazilian researchers have been studying reefs; reef areas
have become increasingly degraded; and Brazilian reefs
have been recognized as an important example of reef
growth under marginal environmental conditions. Recent
research has included more detailed surveys of the reef
environment and the analysis of quantitative databases in
numerous articles, theses, and dissertations, as well as
technical reports. These publications mainly describe the
coral fauna, its endemism, and the adaptation of a low
diversity fauna to a highly siliciclastic muddy environment; the fauna and flora of the reef communities; the classification and distribution of the major Brazilian reef
systems; the aspects that influenced the Quaternary evolution of these reef systems; and the conservation, protection, and management of these reefs, including reviews
of the major natural and anthropogenic impacts that
threaten Brazilian coral reef ecosystems.
Regional setting
The Brazilian coastal zone presents a very diverse suite of
environments that evolved during the Quaternary period
in response to climate and sea level changes. These evolutionary changes were controlled by variations in the sediment supply and a geological heritage dating to the
Gondwana break up in South America and Africa during
the Mesozoic period. During the Quaternary period,
changes in the relative sea level and climate added younger morphological elements such as tidal flats, wetlands,
coastal dune fields, and coral reefs to the coastal zone
(Dominguez, 2009).
The continental shelf along the tropical coast of Brazil
has a relatively low relief and is very narrow (an average
width of 50 km), extending up to 200 km at its southern
portion and forming the Royal Charlotte and the Abrolhos
banks. The shelf break occurs between depths of 60 and
80 m. Tidal variation range from micro- to meso-tides,
with spring tides varying from 1.7 m at the southernmost
region to 3.0 m at the extreme north.
According to Bittencourt et al. (2005), the most significant wave front directions are northeast, east, southeast,
and south–southeast. North and east waves have periods
of 5 s and heights of 1.0 m, while southeast and south–
southeast waves have periods of 6.5 s and heights of
1.5 m.
Coral reefs are primarily distributed along the northeastern and eastern Brazilian coast and are less common
on the continental shelf in the northern part of the country,
a region influenced by muddy sediments from the Amazon River (Figure 1). Nearshore shallow banks and fringing reefs are common within siliciclastic sandy and muddy
sediments, and offshore reefs are located in a carbonatedominated province (Leão et al., 2003).
Reef-building coral fauna
The Brazilian coral fauna (Scleractinia) has three distinctive characteristics: (a) it has a very low diversity coral
fauna (21 species) compared with that of the Caribbean
or the Indo-Pacific reefs; (b) the major reef builders are
168
BRAZIL, CORAL REEFS