Davies reef
This series of photos come from a trip to Davies Reef to service the AIMS weather station tower. These photos focus on highlighting processes affecting the growth of corals on this reef.
Crown of thorns seastar (COTS) (also known as Crown of thorns starfish) feeding on an Acropora sp. coral at Davies Reefs (17 July 2018) near the AIMS weather station tower in the middle of the reef lagoon. This COTS was observed over a 5 day period and only moved from this branch to the bottom of the coral. This stand of branching coral was surrounded by sand and was approximately 5 m from the nearest coral bommie. We found 3 COTS in a 30 m radius of the weather station tower. The coral cover on the neighbouring coral bommies was very high, mostly covered in branching Acropora sp. however many of the table corals in this area were dead, presumably eaten by COTS.
This photo was taken with a GoPro 6.
by Eric Lawrey (AIMS)
Crown of thorns seastar (COTS) (also known as Crown of thorns starfish) feeding on an Acropora sp. coral at Davies Reefs (17 July 2018) near the AIMS weather station tower in the middle of the reef lagoon. This COTS was observed over a 5 day period and only moved from this branch to the bottom of the coral. This stand of branching coral was surrounded by sand and was approximately 5 m from the nearest coral bommie. We found 3 COTS in a 30 m radius of the weather station tower. The coral cover on the neighbouring coral bommies was very high, mostly covered in branching Acropora sp. however many of the table corals in this area were dead, presumably eaten by COTS.
Davies Reef - 14 July 2018
This photo was taken with a GoPro 6.
by Eric Lawrey (AIMS)
Branching corals (Acropora sp.) can form large tickets in the sheltered areas of reefs. This photo shows large tickets in the middle of the reef lagoon on Davies Reef, where there is little wave energy to break the fragile branching coral. For these tickets to form the reef lagoon needs to have available reef subtrate, not sand, and for the reef to be about 5 m below the average sea level. Reef top areas that are too close to the sea surface can become exposured at low tide causing the corals to die. These coral thickets are also easily damaged by passing cyclones that cause large waves to pass over the reef.
Davies Reef - 14 July 2018
This photo was taken with a GoPro 6.
by Eric Lawrey (AIMS)
Most corals don't survive exposure to drying out at low tide. As branching corals (Acropora) grow and reach the low water tide level they stop growing resulting in a flat top to large coral thickets.
Davies Reef - 14 July 2018
This photo was taken with a GoPro 6.
by Eric Lawrey (AIMS)