Particular Qualities of Forming of Reefs and Coral Communities in the Gulf of Thailand

摘要

This article deals with the history and repeated studies of reef and coral communities of the Gulf of a quarter of a century ago, based on published and unpublished materials. The State of affairs in the study reef-building scleractinian corals and reefs of this region is represented. We researched species composition and settlements densities and biomasses in common species of algae, coelenterates, mollusks and echinoderms, as well as the degree of substrate coverage by macrophytes and coral. Clear vertical zonation identified in the change of the various communities in macrobenthos. The dominance of massive Porites on almost all reefs of the Gulf of Thailand is due to their ability to survive in stressful for many corals. They predominate over other scleractinian for the productivity of organic matter, the degree of substrate coverage and species diversity. They also constitute the reef skeleton and play a significant role of the expansion of its area in the muddy bottom of the Gulf of Thailand оexhibit high similarity in coral species composition to other regions of Vietnam and form a single complex of species of the equatorial Indo-Pacific.