Evolutionary History of Coral Reefs Outline#1

This topic submitted by Abby Harris ( harrisai@muohio.edu) at 11:30 PM on 5/1/09.

Jen and Michele explore Lighthouse Cave in the Bahamas

Tropical Field Courses -Western Program-Miami University



Evolutionary History of Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are home to an astonishing variety of tropical marine plants and animals. They are created by colonies of corals that live and die on the reef, creating a mass structure of limestone. Some of these structures can be found in the Bahamas, Australia, and Indonesia today. However, there is rock and fossil evidence of reef structures inland as well. The current structures and the fossil records show a history of evolution within the structures. How do these tropical structures originate, grow, change, die and become part of the subsoil of the non-tropic regions of today?

I. Introduction
II. Reef Formation

III. Evolution
A. Biological Factors
a. Reef -building communities
i. diversity
ii. migration
iii. extinction
iv. hybridization
b. mineralogical composition of reef carbonates
i. skeletal mineralogy
ii. nutrient input
c. framework
d. Physico-chemical degradation
B. Global Factors
a. Types
b. sizes
c. tectonic settings
d. bedrock
e. location
i. time period
ii. environment
f. sea surface temperature
g. nature of substrate
h. subsidence
i. sea level change
IV. Conclusion

Coral reef evolution on rapidly subsiding margins
Jody M. Webster, et al. 2009

Sedimentary evolution of the Torrecilla Reef Complex in response to tectonically forced regression (Early Kimmeridgian, Northern Spain). M. Isabel Benito, Ramon Mas. 2005

Taphonomic Alteration of Reef Corals: Effects of Reef Environment and Coral Growth Form II: The Florida Keys. Benjamin J Greenstein, John M. Pandolfi. 2003

Regional Quaternary submarine geomorphology in the Florida Keys. Barbara H. Lidz,
Christopher D. Reich, Eugene A. Shinn 2003

Coral barium/calcium record of mid-Holocene upwelling activity in New Caledonia, South-West Pacific. Lucien F. Montaggioni, Florence Le Cornec, Thierry Corrge, Guy Cabioch. 2005.

Patterns of evolution in the scleractinian coral genus Montipora (Acroporidae) M. J. H. van Oppen E. M. Koolmees J. E. N. Veron. 2003.

The Evolution of Reef Structures through Time: Importance of Tectonic and Biological Controls. Vitaly Kuznetsov. 1990.

Diversity of late Ordovician rugose corals in Baltoscandia: role of environmental changes and comparison with other areas. Dimitri Kaljo. 2004

A New Early Cretaceous Coral (Anthozoa; Scleractinia; Dendrophylliina) and its Evolutionary Significance. Harry F. Filkorn and Jerjes Pantoja Alor. 2004.


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