A lot of good information on reefs.  Here is some inputs I gathered
while living in the south Pacific.

Reefs are hard to kill when healthy.  A blunder of one type or another might
break off sections of exposed beauty.  When the health is right, rapid
regrowth
can occur.    A case in point, when dredging barges came to trench out a
section
of reef near the power house, and refueling pier the work was mostly
required by
recovering the slot created before.  The coral would grow on the sides
and some
on the bottom to close the gap.  Every 5-10 years they would be hauled
in from
Hawaii for another go at it.

When the crown of thorns moved in - a few were there when I was diving -
the dead looking coral was a foundation to coral floating in the water after
a 'bloom'.  It covered over, but took more time than simple storm thrashing.

I think the real precursor might be those corals that live in 6' or less
water.  When
they get get to deep or atop water they tend to die.  The deep corals,
won't notice
a difference in depth. The reef corals - those that bob out of water
every low tide
might drown.

Martin

--
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/

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