A novel growth form of starlet corals (Siderastreidae): centuries-old columns on shallow-mesophotic turbid-zone reefs
This study documents a previously unreported columnar growth form of starlet corals (Siderastreidae: Siderastrea ) on shallow-mesophotic, turbid-zone reefs of the Abrolhos Bank, southwestern Atlantic. Photogrammetry and computed tomography reveal that these multi-centennial, continuous colonies likely represent a vertical escape strategy to cope with sediment dynamics, while also constituting valuable archives of past environmental variability.
Authors
- Ivan Monclaro Carneiro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2978-0245)
- Fernanda V. Vieira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5759-9566)
- Tarcila Franco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1783-2607)
- Fernando Castro Cardoso
- Guilherme Malagutti Castro
- Gabriel O Cardoso
- Rodrigo L Moura
- Alex C Barros
Institutions
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (BR)
- Freie Universität Berlin (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Bulletin of Marine Science
- Published
- 2026-04-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2026.0009
- Primary Topic
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00