Observations on fijian coral reefs and the crown of thorns starfish

Abstract

Zonation patterns of coral reefs and lagoons near highly cultivated land at Natadola on the southern coast of Viti Levu are compared with zonation patterns of Wakaya Island in a more isolated and less developed part of Fiji. In both places distinct zones of both zoantharian and alcyonarian coral occur on some reefs and lagoons sheltered from continuous heavy surf. The same zonation phenomenon was not observed in a transect of a continuously heavily surf-exposed reef at Natadola fot which data had been recorded prior to the Indo-Pacific population explosion of the starfish Acanthaster planci. The quiet water lagoon behind this reef, however, displayed this zonation pattern very clearly. A number of hypotheses regarding these observations are discussed, including the possibility of destructive activity of Acanthaster planci in initiating ecological changes. © 1971 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.