European Ocean Biodiversity Information System
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page
Morphology and environment of cold-water coral carbonate mounds on the NW European margin
Wheeler, A.J.; Beyer, A.; Freiwald, A.; de Haas, H.; Huvenne, V.A.I.; Kozachenko, M.; Olu-Le Roy, K.; Opderbecke, J. (2007). Morphology and environment of cold-water coral carbonate mounds on the NW European margin. Int. J. Earth Sci. 96(1): 37-56. dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00531-006-0130-6
In: International Journal of Earth Sciences. Springer: Berlin; Heidelberg. ISSN 1437-3254; e-ISSN 1437-3262
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open Marine Archive 227842 [ download pdf ]
Keyword
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    Carbonate mound; Cold-water coral; Morphology; Environmental setting; Seabed mapping
Authors  Top 
  • Wheeler, A.J.
  • Beyer, A.
  • Freiwald, A.
  • de Haas, H.
  • Huvenne, V.A.I.
  • Kozachenko, M.
  • Olu-Le Roy, K.
  • Opderbecke, J.
Abstract
    Cold-water coral carbonate mounds, owing their presence mainly to the framework building coral Lophelia pertusa and the activity of associated organisms, are common along the European margin with their spatial distribution allowing them to be divided into a number of mound provinces. Variation in mound attributes are explored via a series of case studies on mound provinces that have been the most intensely investigated: Belgica, Hovland, Pelagia, Logachev and Norwegian Mounds. Morphological variation between mound provinces is discussed under the premise that mound morphology is an expression of the environmental conditions under which mounds are initiated and grow. Cold-water coral carbonate mounds can be divided into those exhibiting “inherited” morphologies (where mound morphology reflects the morphology of the colonised features) and “developed” morphology (where the mounds assume their own gross morphology mainly reflecting dominant hydrodynamic controls). Finer-scale, surface morphological features mainly reflecting biological growth forms are also discussed.
All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors