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Quantifying the reefscape transformation of a coastal Caribbean coral reef during a phase shift and the associated coastal landscape change
Author(s) -
Rendis Abigail Martínez,
Acosta González Gilberto,
HernándezStefai José Luis,
Arias González Jesús Ernesto
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1111/maec.12334
Subject(s) - coral reef , reef , coral , oceanography , geography , satellite imagery , physical geography , environmental science , geology
Caribbean coral reefs are under strong natural and human pressures and many have undergone phase shifts as a result of local and global change. However few studies have quantified the extent of these phase shifts and the potential impacts that they have on coral reef communities. A temporal comparative analysis of several coral reefscape and landscape metrics was conducted for data from Mahahual, Quintana Roo, Mexico, between the years 2000 and 2006, when a phase shift occurred. Landscape metrics were calculated from coral reef and coastal cover maps obtained by multispectral satellite image classification using IKONOS satellite imagery. These metrics showed that the coastal landscape and reefscape of Mahahual lost 85 ha of vegetation cover and 43 ha of coral cover over 6 years, respectively. Coastal landscape transformation was induced by the construction of a cruise ship pier and multiple associated tourist developments along the coast, such as hotels and restaurants, meanwhile alteration of the reefscape may be associated with potential stressors such as coastal development, bleaching events and hurricanes.