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Different coral compositions reflect contrasting environmental patternsof inshore and offshore reef habitats in Thailand |
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| รหัสดีโอไอ | |
| Creator | 1. Aorn Sillapasathiwong 2. James True |
| Title | Different coral compositions reflect contrasting environmental patternsof inshore and offshore reef habitats in Thailand |
| Publisher | Research and Development Office, Prince of Songkla University |
| Publication Year | 2561 |
| Journal Title | Songklanakarin Journal of Science and Technology |
| Journal Vol. | 40 |
| Journal No. | 1 |
| Page no. | 179 |
| Keyword | coral community, terrestrial influence, Andaman Sea, Satun Province, turbidity |
| URL Website | http://rdo.psu.ac.th/sjstweb/index.php |
| ISSN | 0125-3395 |
| Abstract | Studies of inshore and offshore coral reef systems usually conclude that there are fundamental differences betweenthem assuming that terrigenous influences diminish with distance from the mainland. However, with few exceptions reefs inThailand are fringing reefs around continental islands, whether inshore or offshore. We describe patterns in coral communitycomposition along a 70 km transect from the mainland to offshore islands in the southern Andaman Sea. We found that coralassemblages are comprised of two basic types. Differences in coral assemblages were associated with obviously differentenvironmental conditions, including underwater visibility and level of suspended matter, which were not always aligned withdistance from the mainland. While reef communities were quite variable between sites, the inshore coral assemblages tended tobe characterized by higher numbers of Montipora, Pectinia, Podabacia, and Acropora compared to reefs around offshore islands.Offshore reefs were characterized by a relatively high number of Lobophyllia and Plerogyra colonies. The expected relationshipbetween water quality and sensitive indicator groups like Acropora did not materialize with Acropora and Montipora being morecommon inshore. While there were strong inshore-offshore reef habitat differences in environmental conditions and reefcommunities in southern Thailand, they were not consistent with expectations from the literature. |
