Abstract
The skeletal extension and corallite shape of individuals of the Caribbean and Atlantic reef-building coral Montastrea annularis (Ellis and Solander) were measured after more than six weeks' continuous flow-through exposure in laboratory aquaria to treatments of 0, 1, 10 and 100-ppm (μl 1-1) drilling mud. Linear increase of the skeleton (extension rate) and fossa length were significantly depressed in the 100-ppm treatment. Chronic exposure to 100-ppm drilling mud impairs coral skeletal growth rate and possibly interferes with sediment rejection capability by lowering calical relief.
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Communicated by J.M. Lawrence, Tampa
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Dodge, R.E. Effects of drilling mud on the reef-building coral Montastrea annularis . Mar. Biol. 71, 141–147 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394622
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394622