| Abstrakt: |
Platy-laminar corals have miraculously been reported as sedimentation-tolerant, though their morphology could naturally allow undesirable surface sedimentation. In this paper, we examine how micro-morphological variation might possibly become a key factor for platy-laminar corals Echinopora lamellosa Esper (1795) and E. pacificus Veron (1990) to survive turbidity stress. We observed corallite morphometric [area (CA), diameter (CD-min, CD-max, CD-rate), spacing (ICD), mouth-disk diameter (MD), exsert septal spacing (IES), polyp density (PD) and height (PH), and skeleton thickness (SkT)] of both species that inhabit in different depth regime (2 m and 4 m) of non-turbid sites (ST1 and ST4) and turbid sites (ST2 and ST3). There were significant differences between populations inhabit different depths and turbidity levels. Higher turbidity seems to correspond to the increasing size of corallite morphometric, while thicker limestone and denser polyps present in lower turbidity. In micro-scale environment, the 'hill-and-slope –like' structure of protruded corallite of turbid corals might passively prevent sediment accumulation over their polyp's surface, while lower and wider valley between corallites accommodate temporary siltation. The suitable micro-morphological configuration could greatly determine the platy-laminar corals survivorship in turbid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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