Pulley reef: a deep photosynthetic coral reef on the West Florida Shelf, USA

Coral Reefs
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Abstract

Pulley Reef (24°50′N, 83°40′W) lies on a submerged late Pleistocene shoreline feature that formed during a sea-level stillstand from 13.8 to 14.5 ka (Jarrett et al. 2005). The reef is currently 60–75 m deep, exhibits 10–60% coral cover, and extends over approximately 160 km2 of the sea floor. Zooxanthellate corals are primarily Agaricia lamarcki, A. fragilis, Leptoseris cucullata, and less common Madracis formosa, M. pharensis, M. decactis, Montastraea cavernosa, Porites divaricata, Scolymia cubensis and Oculina tenella. Coralline algae are comparable in abundance to stony corals. Other macroalgae include Halimeda tuna, Dictyota divaricata, Lobophora variegata, Ventricatri ventricosa, Verdigelas pelas, and Kallymenia sp. Anadyomene menziesii is abundant. The reef provides a habitat for organisms typically observed at much shallower depths, and is the deepest known photosynthetic coral reef on the North America continental shelf (Fig. 1).
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Pulley reef: a deep photosynthetic coral reef on the West Florida Shelf, USA
Series title Coral Reefs
DOI 10.1007/s00338-006-0097-6
Volume 25
Issue 2
Year Published 2006
Language English
Publisher Springer
Contributing office(s) Coastal and Marine Geology Program
Description 1 p.
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Coral Reefs
First page 228
Last page 228
Country United States
State Florida
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