| The benthic communities distribution in Tesoro Island (Colombian Caribbean) coral reef was determinad by cartography of reef morphology and functional groups from aerial photographs, theodolite triangulation, and bottom transects over depths ranging from O to 30 m. Tesoro Island is a sand cay reef developed over an emerged reef platform whose basal cone possibly originated by mud diapirism on the continental shelf. The benthic communities are distributed as subzones of the geomorphologic units. The reef crest lies along the breaker zone, formed by Millepora spp. buttresses covered on their tops by Palythoa spp. and seawardly by a turf of Dictyota spp. The rear reef (varying from 0.5-1.5 m ¡n depth) is composed of pavement and grooves with live Porites... |
