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  • 1990-1994  (3)
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  • 1
    ISSN: 1432-0975
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Geosciences
    Notes: Abstract Analysis of data from 1966 to 1989 indicates 2 periods of abundant starfish outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). While the data for the first peak of activity (1966–1975) are relatively limited, the data for the most recent peak of activity (1981–1989) support the hypothesis of southward moving waves of outbreaks. The southward drift of outbreak activity is consistent with speed and direction of average summer currents on the GBR but the concept of a discrete seed area to initiate the wave is not substantiated, nor testable, with presently available data. As the present wave of outbreaks appears to be declining in the central section of the GBR (17–19°S) small residual populations may remain. If the outbreaks are coupled to coral recovery patterns then the next period of high starfish activity in the central section would be expected in the late-1990's.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
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  • 2
    ISSN: 1432-0975
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Geosciences
    Notes: Abstract The abundance and distribution of Acanthaster planci skeletal elements in reef sediments have been presented as evidence that population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish on the Great Barrier Reef are not a new occurrence, but have been an integral part of the ecosystem for at least 7000 years on some reefs (Walbran et al. 1989a). Reassessment of the evidence shows that these claims are not justified and challenges the validity of several assumptions that are crucial to their thesis that outbreaks have been a recurrent phenomenon on the Great Barrier Reef. These are: (i) that the majority of starfish from outbreak populations remain and die on the host reef and that their skeletal elements add to the reef sediment, (ii) that reefs which have had recent A. planci outbreaks can be discriminated from those which have not by the abundance of starfish skeletal remains in recent sediments, (iii) that outbreaks will significantly increase the number of skeletal elements in reef sediments above normal background levels and, (iv) that the age of individual skeletal elements can be predicted from the age of their surrounding sediment or their depth in the sediment pile. We conclude that Walbran et al. do not have sufficient data to infer the outbreak history of A. planci from the sediment recored and that there are alternative interpretations of their findings. The possibility cannot be discounted that destructive population outbreaks of A. planci witnessed on the Great Barrier Reef since 1960 are unprecedented. The question of whether A. planci outbreaks are a naturally recurring phenomena or a novel, more recent development remains unanswered.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
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  • 3
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Springer
    Open systems & information dynamics 2 (1993), S. 95-106 
    ISSN: 1573-1324
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Computer Science , Natural Sciences in General
    Notes: Abstract A model is developed to investigate starfish and coral dynamics at the macro-scale of the whole Great Barrier Reef. This stochastic near-equilibrium theory is consistent with all available data for the mean rates of change of reef-state relative to abundances of the starfishAcanthaster planci and the scleractinian corals upon which it preys. This result is in striking contrast to the stably cyclic behaviour which dominates the meso-scale of individual reefs as reported previously by the authors. For the first time, a number of important numerical estimates have been made and are reported here. Generally, the starfish dynamics is dominated by randomness, being indistinguishable from Brownian motion in the state-space. On the other hand, the coral process is embedded in a drift field which is always directed towards the low coral state. In fact, the high coral state is inaccessible on the Great Barrier Reef.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
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