Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Status of Coral Reefs in the Eastern Caribbean
then there is a gently sloping sandy shelf and extensive patch reefs in depths of 6-15m. A
bank reef runs parallel to, and approximately 1000m from the shore, and is continuous with
the west coast bank reef. The south-east coast is fully exposed to the Atlantic swells with
heavy surf. There are no actively growing fringing reefs, however there is a flat, shallow
bank reef, 400-800m from shore running roughly parallel to it. The east coast is fully
exposed to Atlantic swells and consists of limestone pavements in the southern areas as a
gently sloping featureless ramp from the beach off the Scotland District out to 40-60m.
Further north (off Pico Tenerife), the bottom type changes abruptly as there is a submarine
canyon. North of the canyon, the shelf is terraced and carbonate rich, while to the south it
is more terrestrial and the slope is more gentle. The north coast has a rock terrace which
extends seaward from the base of 100m cliffs out to 40-60m, ending in a ridge parallel to
shore with another terrace and isolated ridges and mounds further seaward. The north
west coast is particularly well sheltered and supports the most extensive and diverse hard
coral reefs on the island.
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