Salt Marsh and Fringing Oyster Reef Transgression in a Shallow Temperate Estuary: Implications for Restoration,Conservation and Blue Carbon

The importance of intertidal estuarine habitats, like salt marsh and oyster reef, has been well established, as has their ubiquitous loss along our coasts with resultant forfeiture of the ecosystem services they provide. Furthering our understanding of how these habitats are evolving in the face of anthropogenic and climate driven changes will help improve management strategies. Previous work has shown that the growth and productivity of both oyster reefs and salt marshes are strongly linked to elevation in the intertidal zone (duration of aerial exposure). We build on that research by examining the growth of marsh-fringing oyster reefs at yearly to decadal time scales and examine movement of the boundary between oyster reef and salt marsh at decadal to centennial time scales. We show that the growth of marsh-fringing reefs is strongly associated to the duration of aerial exposure, with little growth occurring below mean low water and above mean sea level. Marsh-shoreline movement, in the presence or absence of fringing oyster reefs, was reconstructed using transects of sediment cores. Carbonaceous marsh sediments sampled below the modern fringing oyster reefs indicate that marsh shorelines within Back Sound, North Carolina are predominantly in a state of transgression (landward retreat), and modern oyster-reef locations were previously occupied by salt marsh within the past two centuries. Cores fronting transgressive marsh shorelines absent fringing reefs sampled thinner and less extensive carbonaceous marsh sediment than at sites with fringing reefs. This indicates that fringing reefs are preserving carbonaceous marsh sediment from total erosion as they transgress and colonize the exposed marsh shoreline making marsh sediments more resistant to erosion. The amount of marsh sediment preservation underneath the reef scales with the reef’s relief, as reefs with the greatest relief were level with the marsh platform, preserving a maximum amount of carbonaceous sediments during transgression by buffering the marsh from erosional processes. Thus, fringing oyster reefs not only have the capacity to shelter shorelines but, if located at the ideal tidal elevation, they also keep up with accelerating sea-level rise and cap carbonaceous sediments, protecting them from erosion, as reefs develop along the marsh.     

A Model for Understanding the Effects of Sediment Dynamics on Oyster Reef Development

Previous field studies have demonstrated that sedimentation is an important factor that can limit oyster reef growth and restoration success. High relief reefs are more productive and resilient than low relief reefs, in part, because increasing reef height reduces sedimentation and enhances oyster growth. In this study, we investigated the relationship between initial reef height and reef development using a simple model. The model contains three coupled differential equations that describe changes in oyster volume, shell volume, and sediment volume per unit area of reef with time. The model was used to investigate how parameters such as flow speed, sediment grain size, and food concentration affect reef survival and final reef height. Whether or not a reef survives depends primarily on the shape of the sediment concentration profile relative to the initial reef height. Over a long time period, three different steady-state reef heights are possible, depending on the environmental parameters and initial reef height: (1) If growth outpaces sedimentation, the reef achieves the maximum possible height, which is independent of sedimentation parameters; (2) if deposition outpaces growth and the shear stress does not exceed the critical shear stress, the reef is buried in sediment and dies; and (3) if deposition outpaces growth and the shear stress exceeds the critical shear stress, a reduced steady-state height is achieved that depends on both growth and sedimentation parameters. The model can be used to assess the ways in which measurable environmental parameters affect reef restoration success.     

Differential Effects of Bivalves on Sediment Nitrogen Cycling in a Shallow Coastal Bay

In coastal ecosystems, suspension-feeding bivalves can remove nitrogen though uptake and assimilation or enhanced denitrification. Bivalves may also retain nitrogen through increased mineralization and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). This study investigated the effects of oyster reefs and clam aquaculture on denitrification, DNRA, and nutrient fluxes (NO _x , NH₄ ⁺, O₂). Core incubations were conducted seasonally on sediments adjacent to restored oyster reefs (Crassostrea virginica), clam aquaculture beds (Mercenaria mercenaria) which contained live clams, and bare sediments from Smith Island Bay, Virginia, USA. Denitrification was significantly higher at oyster reef sediments and clam aquaculture site than bare sediment in the summer; however, DNRA was not enhanced. The clam aquaculture site had the highest ammonium production due to clam excretion. While oyster reef and bare sediments exhibited seasonal differences in rate processes, there was no effect of season on denitrification, or dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) or ammonium flux at the clam aquaculture site. This suggests that farm management practices or bivalve metabolism and excretion may override seasonal differences. When water column nitrate concentration was elevated, denitrification increased in clam aquaculture site and oyster reef sediments but not in bare sediment; DNRA was only stimulated at the clam aquaculture site. This, along with a significant and positive relationship between denitrification and sediment organic matter, suggests that labile carbon limited nitrate reduction at the bare sediment site. Bivalve systems can serve as either net sinks or sources of nitrogen to coastal ecosystems, depending mainly on the type of bivalve, location, and management practices.     

渤海湾西北岸埋藏牡蛎礁体中的 壳体形态与沉积环境*

渤海湾西北岸沿岸平原分布的众多埋藏牡蛎礁体中的壳体形态和泥沙沉积物特征是不尽相同的。不同礁体中的壳体形态有明显的区别,有些礁体中的壳体细窄,有些礁体中的壳体较宽厚; 与此相对应,具有不同壳体形态的礁体中的沉积物颗粒和粘土含量也有明显的差别。文章分别对组成大吴庄和岭头两个礁体剖面的牡蛎壳体和泥质沉积物进行测量和分析,结果表明大吴庄礁体中壳体的重量随高度增长的速率大于岭头礁体中的壳体,而两个礁体中壳体的壳重随体积增长的速率大致相同; 组成礁体的壳体形态与礁体的沉积环境有关,沉积物较细、粘土含量高时发育细窄的壳体,沉积物较粗、粘土含量低时发育宽厚的壳体。渤海湾西北岸地区埋藏牡蛎礁体中的壳体本身记录了其生长时的环境信息,可以通过分析礁体中的壳体形态来恢复礁体建礁过程中的沉积环境。     

How Well Do Restored Intertidal Oyster Reefs Support Key Biogeochemical Properties in a Coastal Lagoon?

The restoration of dead/degraded oyster reefs is increasingly pursued worldwide to reestablish harvestable populations or renew ecosystem services. Evidence suggests that oysters can improve water quality, but less is known about the role of associated benthic sediments in promoting biogeochemical processes, such as nutrient cycling and burial. There is also limited understanding of if, or how long postrestoration, a site functions like a natural reef. This study investigated key biogeochemical properties (e.g., physiochemical properties, nutrient pools, microbial community size and activity) in the sediments of dead reefs; 1-, 4-, and 7-year-old restored reefs; and natural reference reefs of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in Mosquito Lagoon (FL, USA). Results indicated that most of the measured biogeochemical properties (dissolved organic carbon (C), NH₄ ⁺, total C, total nitrogen (N), and the activity of major extracellular enzymes involved in C, N, and phosphorus (P) cycling) increased significantly by 1-year postrestoration, relative to dead reefs, and then remained fairly constant as the reefs continued to age. Few differences were observed in biogeochemical properties between restored reefs of any age (1 to 7 years) and natural reference reefs. Variability among reefs of the same treatment category was often correlated with differences in the number of live oysters, reef thickness, and/or the availability of C and N in the sediments. Overall, this study demonstrates the role of live intertidal oyster reefs as biogeochemical hot spots for nutrient cycling and burial and the rapidity (within 1 year) with which biogeochemical properties can be reestablished following successful restoration.     

Impacts of Oyster Reef Restoration on Primary Productivity and Nutrient Dynamics in Tidal Creeks of the North Central Gulf of Mexico

The ability of oysters to remove large quantities of particulates from the water column, thereby potentially improving water quality, has been cited as one of the reasons for oyster reef restoration. However, this ability has not yet been effectively demonstrated in the field. As part of the Alabama Oyster Reef Restoration Project, this study was designed to assess impacts of restored eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) reefs on primary production, nutrient dynamics, and water quality in shallow tidal creeks. Using a Before–After-Control–Impact (BACI) design, we monitored tidal creeks around Dauphin Island, AL, for changes induced by the introduction of oyster reefs. Reef placement resulted in increased ammonium (NH₄⁺) in two of the three experimental creeks. Interestingly, oyster reefs did not seem to reduce water column particulates or have an impact on phytoplankton or microphytobenthic biomass or productivity. We do not believe that our data discount the importance and/or usefulness of oysters in modifying the water column. Rather, we acknowledge that it is difficult to detect these impacts/environmental services in this type of system (i.e., a tidal creek system), because they seem to be very localized and short-lived (i.e., not ecologically relevant on a creek-wide scale). This study highlights the need to consider location and habitat in planning oyster restoration projects. Also, it demonstrates that the types, magnitudes, and spatial extent of changes in ecosystem services that should be expected after reef restoration might need to be re-evaluated.     

Seston Removal by Natural and Constructed Intertidal Eastern Oyster (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea virginica</Emphasis>) Reefs: A Comparison with Previous Laboratory Studies,and the Value of in situ Methods

An important ecological role ascribed to oysters is the transfer of materials from the water column to the benthos as they feed on suspended particles (seston). This ecosystem service has been often touted as a major reason for many oyster restoration efforts, but empirical characterization and quantification of seston removal rates in the field have been lacking. Changes in chlorophyll a (chl a) concentrations in the water column were measured in May 2005 and June 2006 in South Carolina using in situ fluorometry and laboratory analysis of pumped water samples taken upstream and downstream as water flowed over natural and constructed intertidal oyster reefs. Both methods gave similar results overall, but with wide variability within individual reef datasets. In situ fluorometer data logged at 10 to 30-s intervals for up to 1.3 h over eight different reefs (three natural and five constructed) showed total removal (or uptake) expressed as % removal of chl a ranging from −9.8% to 27.9%, with a mean of 12.9%. Our data indicate that restored shellfish reefs should provide water-quality improvements soon after construction, and the overall impact is probably determined by the size and density of the resident filter feeder populations relative to water flow characteristics over the reef. The measured population-level chl a removal was converted to mean individual clearance rates to allow comparison with previous laboratory studies. Although direct comparisons could not be made due to the small size of oysters on the study reefs (mean shell height, 36.1 mm), our calculated rates (mean, 1.21 L h⁻¹) were similar to published laboratory measured rates for oysters of this size. However, the wide variability in measured removal by the oyster reefs suggests that individual oyster feeding rates in nature may be much more variable than in the laboratory. The proliferation of ecosystem-level models that simulate the impacts of bivalves on water quality based only on laboratory-feeding measurements underscores the importance of further research aimed at determining ecologically realistic feeding rates for oysters in the field. Because in situ methods provide many replicate measurements quickly, they represent a potentially powerful tool for quantifying the effects of oyster reefs, including all suspension-feeding taxa present, on water quality.     

渤海湾西北岸埋藏牡蛎礁礁顶上下沉积物中硅藻对“礁泥转换”古沉积环境的重建

渤海湾西北岸大吴庄牡蛎礁是近年来研究程度最高的礁体,天津空港物流中心牡蛎礁则是近年来新发现的礁体。该两处礁体上部的牡蛎个体内部充填的泥、个体之间的泥以及礁体上覆沉积泥层中的硅藻研究表明,礁顶上下（即礁体的上部-顶部和上覆沉积泥层的下部）均富含潮间带环境指示种的Auliscus caelatus,表明礁体发育后期和上覆沉积泥层的初期,均为潮间带环境。尽管如此,从礁顶向上覆沉积泥层转换方式在两处礁体却不相同:（1）大吴庄:Auliscus caelatus种向上逐渐减少,暗示着大吴庄剖面由礁体上部的潮间带中上部、直至上覆沉积泥层下部的潮间带上部、进一步向上覆沉积泥层上部的潮上带转化的趋势。（2）空港:牡蛎礁上覆沉积泥层出现了比例达6%~23%的河口咸水-半咸水种Achnanches brevipes,而下伏礁体内则未见该种,暗示此处泥层受河口作用显著影响。此种不同揭示了礁体停止发育的原因有所不同:在5 520cal BP时,大吴庄礁顶进入潮间带中上部,礁体经常脱离海水而发育停止;在约4 000 cal BP时,空港礁体所在位置因河流作用突然增强,在时间上看很可能是黄河改道在天津入海,古黄河携带大量泥砂入海,掩盖了潮间带的牡蛎礁而导致牡蛎礁发育停止。     

Patterns of sediment composition of Jamaican fringing reef facies

Recent carbonate sediments from Jamaican north coast fringing reefs were collected along three parallel traverses in the vicinity of Discovery Bay. Each traverse extended from near shore across the back reef, reef crest, and fore reef to a depth of 75 m. Relative abundances of the biotic constituents vary between sites, reflecting general patterns of reef community composition. The sediment is dominated by highly comminuted coral fragments (27·1% to 63·1%), plates of the calcareous green alga Halimeda (0·4% to 38·7%), coralline algae (4·7% to 16·2%) and the encrusting foraminiferan Homotrema rubrum (0·7% to 9·5%), with lesser amounts of other taxonomic groups (non-encrusting foraminifera 1·3–5·5%; molluscs 1·4–7·0%; echinoderms 0·9–5·0%). Coral fragments, coralline algae and particles of Homotrema rubrum dominate the sediments of the shallow portions of the fore reef (5–15 m), whereas plates of Halimeda are most abundant in sediments from the back reef and deeper portions of the fore reef ( 24 m). Q-mode cluster analysis, using sediment constituent data, resulted in the delineation of four reef biofacies over the depth range of this study (1–75 m).     

Do carbonate reefs form due to fluid seepage?

Buried carbonate reefs are favoured hydrocarbon prospecting targets, mainly due to their high porosity and potential for containing large quantities of petroleum. The question of the true relationship between reef structure and the internally trapped fluids (hydrocarbons) is here raised as one of cause - and effect. In other words, which came first, the hydrocarbons or the carbonate reef itself? Modern bioherms and seabed carbonate reefs in, amongst other locations, the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, are shown to form in close association with active hydrocarbon seepages. Mainly based on results from ecological studies at deep-ocean vent communities, a new model for carbonate reef formation is promoted: that such reefs form at locations containing high concentrations of bacteria and other microorganisms suspended in the water column as a result of seeping fluids (solutions and gases) that provide some of the energy basis and carbon source for ecosystems independently of photosynthesis. Therefore, on burial and effective sealing (‘capping’), these carbonate reefs become hydrocarbon reservoirs, trapping and accumulating the very minerals on which they - in the first place - were dependent.     

天津空港牡蛎礁:中全新世环境恶化与新构造控礁作用

新发现的天津空港埋藏牡蛎礁体和下伏、上覆泥层的沉积学、AMS14C年代学研究显示,厚2.3m的礁体分为3部分,起讫年龄是6170～3980cal BP。5900～4100cal BP的中部,是受全新世冷事件4环境恶化控制的缓慢发育期。礁体的结束,则与冷事件3在时间上大致吻合。根据新的年龄数据,将该礁体的归属重新厘定为Ⅲ-2礁群。探讨礁体主要发育区与新构造活动的关系,表明全新世牡蛎礁平原主要位于海河-宝坻-工部-蓟运河断裂圈闭的北西-南东向区域内。这一认识,进一步从实证角度证实了牡蛎礁形成于渤海湾"湾中之湾"的推测。     

Growth of rigid high-relief patch reefs, Mid-Silurian, Gotland, Sweden

Patch reefs up to 35 m thick and generally 100–150 m wide, separated by bedded inter-reef sediment, dominate the Högklint Formation (Lower Wenlock) of north-west Gotland. The spacing between adjacent patch reefs is variable, but is commonly 150–350 m. The Högklint is a shallowing sequence, and the patch reefs exhibit a well-developed vertical succession: (1) Axelsro-type patch reefs developed in the underlying Visby Formation; (2) halysitid tabulates capped by laminar stromatoporoids; (3) domical and bulbous stromatoporoids and red algae; (4) cyanobacterial–algal reef crest. The patch reefs expand upwards from an initial bioherm phase with a small base to a laterally extensive biostrome phase. This gives them a thumb-tack appearance. In stage 2 of the bioherm phase, rigid framework development and high reef relief resulted in breakage of angular blocks up to 15 m long, which were incorporated into the reefs or fell into adjacent sediments. Poorly sorted talus haloes (Millingsklint Member) also developed adjacent to stage 2 of the bioherm phase. These include angular blocks and exhibit depositional slopes up to 40° away from the reefs. Stage 3 biostrome development was mainly non-rigid cluster reef, which shed skeletal debris (Domkyrka Member) but few lithified blocks. Stage 4 biostrome development was a reef crest with open to closed frame structure. Storm breakage and overturning produced large blocks with complex cavity fill sequences including double geopetals. Relief during the bioherm phase, indicated by fallen blocks and talus slopes, was up to at least 15 m; during the biostrome phase, it was up to 10 m.     

Modeling the Effects of Oyster Reefs and Breakwaters on Seagrass Growth

Seagrass beds have declined in Chesapeake Bay, USA as well as worldwide over the past century. Increased seston concentrations, which decrease light penetration, are likely one of the main causes of the decline in Chesapeake Bay. It has been hypothesized that dense populations of suspension-feeding bivalves, such as eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), may filter sufficient seston from the water to reduce light attenuation and enhance seagrass growth. Furthermore, eastern oyster populations can form large three-dimensional reef-like structures that may act like breakwaters by attenuating waves, thus decreasing sediment resuspension. We developed a quasi-three-dimensional Seagrass-Waves-Oysters-Light-Seston (SWOLS) model to investigate whether oyster reefs and breakwaters could improve seagrass growth by reducing seston concentrations. Seagrass growth potential (SGP), a parameter controlled by resuspension-induced turbidity, was calculated in simulations in which wave height, oyster abundance, and reef/breakwater configuration were varied. Wave height was the dominant factor influencing SGP, with higher waves increasing sediment resuspension and decreasing SGP. Submerged breakwaters parallel with the shoreline improved SGP in the presence of 0.2 and 0.4 m waves when sediment resuspension was dominated by wave action, while submerged groins perpendicular to the shoreline improved SGP under lower wave heights (0.05 and 0.1 m) when resuspension was dominated by along-shore tidal currents. Oyster-feeding activity did not affect SGP, due to the oysters’ distance from the seagrass bed and reduced oyster filtration rates under either low or high sediment concentrations. Although the current implementation of the SWOLS model has simplified geometry, the model does demonstrate that the interaction between oyster filtration and along-shore circulation, and between man-made structures and wave heights, should be considered when managing seagrass habitats, planning seagrass restoration projects, and choosing the most suitable methods to protect shorelines from erosion.     

渤海湾西北岸几道牡蛎礁

渤海湾西北岸划分出了第Ⅰ道—第Ⅵ道牡蛎礁的平面分布(图1);对牡蛎礁壳体的几何形态特征进行了描述(图2),并将牡蛎礁壳体进行了剖面切割(图3);对牡蛎礁壳体进行了X光衍射与激光拉曼(活—古)矿物晶型的对比分析(表1,图4);对俵口村BKP20-2剖面(-2.84m)牡蛎礁一个体右壳:在双目镜下对其内部结构与矿物组分进行了分析(图5);通过机械挖掘剖面及钻探获得:牡蛎礁体的空间堆积厚度与赋存的海拔高度及其各剖面垂直方向上的14C年代数据;并获得牡蛎礁体堆积的内部结构特征(图6);以及牡蛎礁体水平夹层与CaCO3含量变化(图7),其中水平夹层CaCO3含量往往偏高,初步分析可能与气候偏冷有关。对牡蛎礁壳体内充填物及壳外沉积物进行了粒度分析(表3),粒度组分及概率累积曲线等(图9)为分析牡蛎礁的生态环境提供了佐证:即牡蛎礁基本以潮下带生活环境为主。以俵口BKP20剖面为例分析了牡蛎礁体堆积物从埋深-2.14～-6.90m的生物组合特征(表4)。以上资料为获得牡蛎礁堆积体的生长-发育-消亡等演化模式提供了依据(图10)。     

The geomorphic development of wreck shoal,a subtidal oyster reef of the James River,Virginia

Wreck Shoal is a subtidal oyster reef located in the James River estuary, Virginia. This estuary has moved upstream and landward in response to rising sea level. The recent geomorphic history of Wreck Shoal is analyzed based on bathymetric records from the 1850’s to the 1980’s. The data indicate that the shallow oyster reef areas have lost elevation in the last 130 yr. This is attributed to intense harvesting activity during the last century. The late Holocene evolution of Wreck Shoal is developed based on the results of sub-bottom profiles and coring data. These suggest that the Wreck Shoal oyster reef has developed on the ridge and swale topography of a point-bar formed during the late Pleistocene epoch. Contemporary biodeposition processes on Wreck Shoal are evaluated. The results indicate that sediments of biogenic origin (fecal and shell material) potentially accumulate at rates in excess of 50 cm 100 years^?1. A model for subtidal oyster reef development is proposed that accounts for sea level rise, biodeposition, and the harvesting activity of man. The model is verified with field observations of reef elevation and radiocarbon dates of oyster shell material. The implications of these results are that oyster reefs should be considered a renewable natural resource, and therefore managed accordingly in concert with the oysters.     

黄河口潮滩粉土体固结非均匀性研究

通过分析直立堤前海床地貌和深度剖面方向贯入强度特性及相邻自由海床剖面方向贯入强度特性,研究了黄河口潮滩粉土体动力响应的非均匀性。研究发现：沿海床剖面不仅存在水平硬层,同时也存在竖直硬层,且竖直硬层与水动力条件有关。结合现场循环冲击荷载试验和直立堤前多孔介质海床数值模型,解释粉土海床非均匀性形成的机制：由于粉土体中细小无黏性颗粒在波浪作用下逐渐脱离土骨架,在土体中缓慢流动汇聚,在后期波浪改造累积作用下固结排水强度增大,形成强度不同的地带,导致土体动力响应的非均匀性。     

Carbonate sediment transport pathways based on foraminifera: case study from Frank Sound, Grand Cayman, British West Indies

Foraminifera can be used to determine the source(s) of carbonate sediment and the directions of sediment transport in shallow, coastal lagoons such as Frank Sound on the south-central coast of Grand Cayman. These determinations, based on the distribution of foraminiferal assemblages and ‘tracer species’ (numerically abundant species that live in known physiographic units and/or ecological conditions), show that the lagoonal sediments are a mixture of grains that originated in the lagoon and forereef. The variable proportions of these foraminifera throughout the lagoon reflects the dynamic processes that control lagoonal sedimentation. Amphistegina gibbosa, Discorbis rosea, and Asterigerina carinata lived in the forereef environment. The fact that these ‘tracer species’ are found throughout Frank Sound and in the beach sands, shows that they were transported across the reef crest and the lagoon. Abrasion-resistant Archaias angulatus, a‘tracer species’ indicative of a lagoonal setting, forms up to 50% of foraminiferal assemblages found in the lagoonal sediments. Preferential winnowing of small tests from these populations indicates sorting under high energy conditions. The vertical distribution of the forereef and lagoonal foraminifera in the sediment blanket that covers the floor of Frank Sound indicates that these processes are temporally persistent. Transportation of forereef foraminifera into and around the lagoon and sorting of the lagoonal foraminifera cannot take place under ‘normal’ conditions when the tranquil lagoon is characterized by weak currents. Storms and/or hurricanes, however, generate short-lived high-energy events that can move and sort the sediment and foraminifera. At the height of a storm, water and sediment are moved over the reef and then piled and held onshore by the onshore winds and the constant flow of water over the reef and across the lagoon. These currents can mix some of the lagoonal and forereef sediments. As a storm wanes, however, the ‘piled water’ flows offshore via strong rip currents that pass into the ocean through the channels which transect the reef. These currents winnow and/or strip sediment from the lagoon and may transport lagoonal sediments into the forereef area. As a result, residual lagoonal sediment is commonly characterized by larger and abrasion-resistant foraminifera.     

Determination of Trophic Transfer at a Created Intertidal Oyster (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea ariakensis</Emphasis>) Reef in the Yangtze River Estuary Using Stable Isotope Analyses

Oysters can create reefs that provide habitat for associated species resulting in elevated resident abundances, lower mortality rates, and increased growth and survivorship compared to other estuarine habitats. However, there is a need to quantify trophic relationships and transfer at created oyster reefs to provide a better understanding of their potential in creating suitable nekton habitat. Stable isotope analyses (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) were conducted to examine the organic matter sources and potential energy flow pathways at a created intertidal oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis; hereinafter, oyster) reef and adjacent salt marsh in the Yangtze River estuary, China. The δ¹³C values of most reef-associated species (22 of 37) were intermediate between those of suspended particle organic matter (POM) and benthic microalgae (BMI), indicating that both POM and BMI are the major organic matter sources at the created oyster reef. The sessile and motile macrofauna colonizing the reef make up the main prey of transient nekton (e.g., spotted sea bass, Asian paddle crab, and green mud crab), thus suggesting that the associated community was most important in supporting higher trophic levels as opposed to the direct dietary subsidy of oysters. The created oyster reef consistently supported higher trophic levels than the adjacent salt marsh habitat due to the dominance of secondary consumers. These results indicate that through the provision of habitat for associated species, created oyster reefs provide suitable habitat and support a higher average trophic level than adjacent salt marsh in the Yangtze River estuary.     

Bucket structure in carbonate accumulations of the Maldive, Chagos and Laccadive archipelagos

Peritidal platforms rimmed by reefs, and raised reefs rimming deep lagoons, are characteristic morphologies of the tropical carbonate factory; their geometry contrasts sharply with the seaward-sloping shelves of siliciclastic margins. The structure has been compared to a bucket—stiff reef rims holding a pile of loose sediment. Remote-sensing data from the Maldive, Chagos and Laccadive archipelagos of the Indian Ocean show that ring reefs with bucket structure are the dominant depositional pattern from patch reefs of tens of meters to archipelagos of hundreds of kilometers in diameter, that is, over more than 4 orders of magnitude in linear size. Over 2.5 orders of magnitude, the bucket structures qualify as statistical fractals, exhibiting self-similar patterns and size distributions following power laws. However, most regional or genetic subsets of the data follow lognormal distributions and small subsets of lagoon reefs exhibit exponential distributions. Seismic data and boreholes in the Maldives indicate that the bucket has been a dominant depositional motif since the Oligocene. Ecological and hydrodynamic studies on modern reefs suggest that the bucket structure is a form of biotic self-organization: the edge position in a reef is favored over the center position because bottom shear is higher and the diffusive boundary layer between reef and water thinner. Thus, the reef edge has easier access to nutrients and is less likely to be buried by sediment. The bucket structure reflects these conditions. Karst processes have accentuated the surface relief of the buckets, particularly in the late Quaternary.     

Post-glacial seismic stratigraphy, central Great Barrier Reef, Australia

A regional programme of continuous seismic (boomer) profiling in the central Great Barrier Reef Province has identified a widespread shallow seismic discontinuity (reflector A) which is interpreted as the pre-Holocene surface. Nine seismic facies units are distinguished primarily on the basis of the seismic records, but also with the aid of additional criteria such as location and surface sediment types. Two units underlie reflector A and are pre-Holocene. These units are interpreted as: (a) Permo-Carboniferous bedrock, and (b) Pleistocene/? Tertiary sediments, consisting of both shelf-wide terrigenous units, and carbonate mounds and platforms under present reefs. Seven units are post-glacial and overlie reflector A. These units are interpreted as: (c) fluvial/estuarine channel fill, (d) relict delta-front deposits, (e) relict transgressive veneer, (f) coastal coarse and (g) fine deposits, (h) modern reef and (i) reef talus. In general post-glacial sediment cover is very thin and in many places on the mid-shelf the pre-Holocene units crop out. Substantial post-glacial accumulations are limited to protected coastal embayments and to offshore reef masses.