Fringing reef circulation

Abstract

Fringing reefs have been described as being morphologically simple (Kennedy and Woodroffe, 2002), but variation in important parameters such as the reef morphology, tidal range, and wave energy means that a widely applicable model of fringing reef water circulation does not exist. Fundamental distinctions can be made between fringing reefs with or without an enclosed lagoon, those on the windward shores (with circulation normally driven by waves) or leeward shores (with tidal and other currents dominating), and those enclosed by headlands (where topographically controlled circulation is important) or those that extend along a more or less straight shoreline. Other reef types that could be described as fringing are variously described as either fringing or barrier (e.g., Ningaloo Reef, Australia; Hearn, 1999), bank-fringing (e.g., Great Pond Bay, St Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; Lugo-Fernandez et al., 1998b), bank-barrier (e.g., Tague Reef, St Croix; Lugo-Fernandez et al., 2004), or coral lagoons (e.g., Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii; Hearn, 1999). Other authors have described reefs adjacent to coral cays as fringing (Daly and Brander, 2006).