Aspects of biology and ecological functioning of coral reefs in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Book Chapter ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
This publication does not have an abstract. The first paragraph of the Introduction is displayed as the abstract. The Mariana Islands are a chain of 16 volcanic peaks stretching over a distance of approximately 2,500km from 13' to 21' N latitude and centered at 145' E longitude (Fig. 19.1). Politically, the area is divided into two jurisdictions, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Guam is a US territory located at 13'28' N, 144'45'E and is the southernmost island in the Mariana Archipelago. It is the largest island in Micronesia, with an area of 560km2 and a maximum elevation of approximately 405m above sea level. The northern portion of the island is relatively flat and consists primarily of uplifted limestone. The southern half of the island is primarily volcanic, with more topographic relief, and large areas of highly erodible lateritic soils (Siegrist and Randall 1992; Chapter 18, Riegl et al. ). The island possesses fringing reefs, patch reefs, submerged reefs, offshore banks, and a barrier reef surrounding the southern shores. The reef margin varies in width, from tens of meters along some of the windward areas, to well over 100m. The combined area of coral reefs and lagoons is approximately 69km2 in nearshore waters between 0-3nmi, and an additional 110km2 in federal waters greater than 3nmi offshore (Hunter 1995).
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Publication Name
Coral Reefs of the USA
Volume
1
ISBN/ISSN
978-1-4020-6846-1
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Pages Count
21
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Springer
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Netherlands
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