TY - JOUR T1 - Coral growth rates from the Holocene Canada Honda fossil reef, Southwestern Dominican Republic: Comparisons with modern counterparts in high sedimentation settings JF - Caribbean Journal of Science Y1 - 2009 A1 - Cuevas, D. N. A1 - Sherman, C. E. A1 - Ramírez, W. A1 - Hubbard, D. K. KW - australia KW - Belize KW - Caribbean KW - community KW - degradation KW - enriquillo valley KW - florida KW - great-barrier-reef KW - linear extension KW - montastraea-annularis KW - paluma shoals KW - record KW - siltation stress KW - skeletal extension KW - turbidity AB - The Holocene Canada Honda fossil reef, located in southwestern Dominican Republic, provides a unique opportunity to examine a well-preserved fossil coral reef that thrived in a high-sedimentation environment between 9,000 to 5,000 years ago. Measurements of coral growth rates from the corals Montastraea faveolata and Siderastrea siderea were conducted and comparisons made with growth rate data of these same species from modern coral reefs throughout the Caribbean. Also, assessments of coral species abundance, morphology, age, and distribution, as well as reef sediment composition, were made to determine the paleoenvironment of reef accretion. This reef is characterized by a high relative abundance of sediment-tolerant coral species that have a tendency to form almost monospecific stands. Individual colonies have a propensity to grow as encrusting, dome-shaped, platy-like forms and specimens of Montastraea faveolata commonly contain bands of sediment incorporated into the skeleton. Calibrated radiocarbon ages of fossil corals range from 9,256 +/- 137 to 6,737 +/- 94.5 BP. Correlation of radiocarbon ages with well-established Holocene sea-level curves indicates that most corals on this reef developed at depths >15m. Measured growth rates in Siderastrea siderea (0.2-0.4 cm/yr) and Montastraea faveolata (0.09-0.44 cm/yr) are relatively low compared with growth rates from modern reef sites, indicating reduced light intensity caused by coral growth at depths greater than 15 m. Reef sediment is characterized by more than 85% carbonate material. A significant portion of the carbonate is allochtonous and was derived from nearby Neogene limestones. The reef was able to survive under high-sedimentation conditions because the high carbonate content of incoming terrigenous sediment would have allowed better light penetration and probable sporadic storms would provide intervening low-sedimentation periods during which reef corals could respond and grow back, keeping-up with sedimentation. VL - 45 SN - 0008-6452 IS - 1 N1 - 695voTimes Cited:0 Cited References Count:47 JO - Caribb J Sci ER - TY - CONF T1 - Environmental Factors Controlling Community Structure, Morphology and Linear Extension of Mid-Holocene Reef Corals from Cañada Honda, Southwestern, Dominican Republic T2 - Proceedings of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Y1 - 2008 A1 - Cuevas, D. A1 - Sherman, C. A1 - Ramírez, W. A1 - Hubbard, D. KW - Caribbean KW - Holocene KW - ICRS11 KW - Lessons from the past KW - linear extension KW - siltation AB - The Cañada Honda (CH) fossil coral reef, located in SW Dominican Republic, provides a unique opportunity to examine reef accretion in a high-sedimentation environment between 9.0-5.0 ky ago. Annual linear extension of fossil corals was determined for comparison with data from modern coral reefs. The reef is characterized by the high abundance of sediment-tolerant coral species, their tendency to form almost monospecific stands and grow as domes-cones with ragged margins. Also, colonies of Montastraea faveolata commonly contain bands of sediment incorporated within their skeletons. Calibrated radiocarbon ages of fossil corals range from 9,256±137 to 6,737±94.5 BP. Correlation with Holocene sea-level curves indicates that most corals on CH developed at depths greater than 15m. Growth rates varied from 0.09-0.44 cm/yr and suggest reduced light penetration caused by coral growth at such depths. Reef sediment is characterized by more than 85% carbonate material. A significant portion of the carbonate is allochtonous and was derived from nearby Neogene limestones. The reef was able to survive under these conditions because of the high carbonate content of incoming terrigenous sediment and that storms probably occurred sporadically providing intervening lowsedimentation periods during which reef corals could respond and grow back, “keeping-up” with sedimentation. JF - Proceedings of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida N1 - id: 1979 ER -