Submersible observations and collections reveal that a probable relict reef off the west coast of Barbados has a rich cover of sponges, along with algae and scattered corals, on a substrate of algal nodules in a muddy-sand matrix. The collections provide new data on the distributions of these fauna. This relict reef is about 20 km long, has a relief of up to 10 m, and is established at a depth of 80 m. Relict shallow-water features in other areas at similar depths along with data from core holes drilled off the south coast of Barbados suggest that this reef was probably established about 12,000 years ago and existed for no more than 2,000 years, during the Holocene sea-level transgression.

Depth range
21- 121 m

Mesophotic “mentions”
0 x (total of 4178 words)

Classification
* Presents original data
* Focused on 'mesophotic' depth range
* Focused on 'mesophotic coral ecosystem'

Fields
Paleoecology
Community structure
Biodiversity

Focusgroups
Porifera (Sponges)
Scleractinia (Hard Corals)
Algae (Macro, Turf and Crustose Coralline)
Overall benthic (groups)

Locations
Barbados

Platforms
Manned Submersible
Coring / drilling