Abstract
The in-situ growth rate of the reef coral Montastrea annularis on a reef at Jamaica, W. Indies was determined for a 1-year period using Alizarin Red-S staining techniques. Growth rate is correlated with water depth and growth form. The flattened growth form of M. annularis allows for continued rapid increase in colony surface area at low light intensities. The geomorphology of Jamaican reefs may in part be controlled by the population ecology of M. annularis.
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Communicated by M.R. Tripp, Newark
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Dustan, P. Growth and form in the reef-building coral Montastrea annularis . Marine Biology 33, 101–107 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390714
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390714