Evidence for Strong Currents and Turbulence in a Deep Coral Reef Groove.

摘要

In terms of reef growth and development, strong turbulent diffusion is generally considered in a qualitative way to be a process which is most important in the shallow, wave-dominated portions of a reef. This study has shown that deep areas of a modern coral reef system may experience a high level of turbulence during part of the tidal cycle owing to interactions between strong currents and reef geometry. The luxuriant coral communities and well formed reefs which commonly occur at the deep margins of island shelves may in fact be associated with the presence of these unusual levels of turbulent diffusion.