Rw. Rogers, SPATIAL, SEASONAL AND SECULAR PATTERNS IN THE COVER OF GREEN-ALGAE ONHERON REEF FLAT, GREAT-BARRIER-REEF, AUSTRALIA, Botanica marina, 39(5), 1996, pp. 415-419
The cover of green algae on the reef flat south of Heron Island was me
asured on 17 occasions between December 1990 and December 1995. Fleshy
green algae cover increased seaward across the flat to about the midd
le, then decreased sharply. Seasonal variations in cover were also app
arent: Chlorodesmis fastigiata was regularly more abundant in December
and June than in March or September. Other species tended to show a s
ingle peak of abundance: Caulerpa cupressoides in June, C. fastigiata
in March and Halimeda tuna in September. Tropical cyclone Fran passed
over Heron Reef in March 1992 causing substantial changes to the flesh
y algal cover, but not significantly reducing the total cover of flesh
y green algae. However, Caulerpa racemosa and Chlorodesmis fastigiata
showed an increase in cover following the cyclone with subsequent decl
ine whereas Caulerpa cupressoides showed a compensating decrease in co
ver following the cyclone with a slow recovery over three years.