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Cayos Arcas Complex
The Cayos Arcas Complex forms part of the Campeche Bank Reefs, located in the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico. The group consists of three sand platform-like cays located approximately 128 km from the mainland: Cayo del Centro located at 20.22°N and 91.97°W, Cayo del Oeste at 20.22°N and 91.99°W, and Cayo del Este with coordinates 20.20°N and 91.98°W. An elongated 3 km long reef flat that surrounds a sandy semi lagoon on the west side of the main cay also forms part of the complex. Note: The coordinates listed below are an approximation of the geographical center of the complex. Width and length figures include the Centro, Oeste and Este cays. Location on Continental Shelf: Outer-Shelf Bank Coordinates: 20.21° N 91.98° W Nearest Largest City: Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico Selected Characteristics: Width: 2.4 km Length: 4.6 km Community Structure: A dense coverage of Acropora cervicornis used to cover the surface of Cayos, but has now disappeared, apparently as a result of human activities related to the oil industry. The zonation at the front reef shows that the zoanthids Palythoa caribaeorum and Zoanthus sociatus are dominant between 1 and 3 m and that Acropora palmata prevails between 3 and 7 m. Montastrea annularis and Diploria strigosa, plus octocorals, are characteristic from 7 through 18 m followed by a sandy slope occupying the lower level. References: International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). 2004. National Oceanic Atmospheric Adminsitration, National Marine Fisheries Service Coral Reefs and Communities of the Gulf of Mexico-Campeche Bank. URL: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/PR/fpweb/icri/text/343b.htm (Accessed Feb.24, 2004). Tunnell, J.W., Jr. 2007. Reef Distribution (chapter 2 & 9). In Tunnell, J.W. Jr., Chavez, E.O. and Withers, K. (eds) Coral Reefs of the Southern Gulf of Mexico. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX, 216 p. Additional Information: International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) Keywords: Reef, Platform, Complex, Campeche bank reefs, Acropora, Diploria, Montastrea |
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GulfBase is a project of the
Harte
Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
To give proper credit to the original authors, please cite information taken from GulfBase by the original source as displayed. 
To cite GulfBase, use:
M. Nipper, J.A. Sánchez Chávez,
and J.W. Tunnell, Jr., Editors. 2010.
GulfBase: Resource Database for Gulf of Mexico Research.
World Wide
Web electronic publication. http://www.gulfbase.org, 08 February 2010. |
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