Quinn Norman J, Kojis Barbara L
Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 35, University of the West Indies, Discovery Bay, St. Ann, Jamaica.
Rev Biol Trop. 2005 May;53 Suppl 1:83-90.
Coral recruitment was examined on terracotta tiles deployed for four six-month periods between March 2001 and April 2003 on the West Fore Reef at Discovery Bay, Jamaica. During each sampling period, four tiles were deployed on each of two arrays at six depths ranging from 3 m to 33 m. Only three Acropora spat recruited to the tiles over the sampling period. The Acropora spat recruited during only one of the four six-month sampling periods and at only one depth, 3m. That represents a density of 8 spat m(-2) at 3 m depth for one six-month sampling period. Acropora recruitment represented <1 % of the total spat recruiting to the tiles deployed at 3 m during the four sampling periods. Density of acroporids on the West Fore Reef is low. Only one Acropora colony (an A. palmata) was recorded during Point-Quarter surveys of coral cover and density at depths of 3 m, 9 m, 14 m and 19 m. Considering the paucity of acroporid colonies and the infrequent settlement of acroporid spat on the West Fore Reef, it is unlikely that the historic abundance of A. palmata and A. cervicornis will return soon.
2001年3月至2003年4月期间，在牙买加发现湾的西前礁，对放置了四个六个月周期的赤陶瓦上的珊瑚幼体附着情况进行了研究。在每个采样期，在两个阵列的每个阵列上，于3米至33米的六个深度处各放置了四块瓦片。在整个采样期内，只有三只鹿角珊瑚幼体附着到了瓦片上。这些鹿角珊瑚幼体仅在四个六个月采样期中的一个时期附着，且仅在一个深度（3米）附着。这意味着在一个六个月采样期内，3米深度处的附着密度为8个幼体/平方米。在四个采样期内，鹿角珊瑚的附着量占3米深处放置的瓦片上附着的幼体总数的比例不到1%。西前礁上鹿角珊瑚的密度很低。在对3米、9米、14米和19米深度处的珊瑚覆盖度和密度进行逐点四分法调查期间，仅记录到一个鹿角珊瑚群落（一种指状鹿角珊瑚）。鉴于西前礁上鹿角珊瑚群落稀少且鹿角珊瑚幼体附着不频繁，指状鹿角珊瑚和柱形鹿角珊瑚的历史丰度近期不太可能恢复。
