ZONACION DE OCTOCORALES GORGONACEOS EN EL AREA DE SANTA MARTA Y PARQUE NACIONAL TAYRONA, COSTA CARIBE COLOMBIANA

Abstract

Thirty nine species of gorgonacean octocorals have been found so far in the area of SantaMarta and Parque NacionalTayrona. Themajority of zooxanthellate gorgonaceans are distributed betwenn 1 and 16-18 m of depth, since lack of hard, consolidated substrate inhibits their presence below these depths. The low water transparency is probably also influencing their maximun limit of vertical distribution, since on hard consolidated rock at 50 m of depth in one station, only azooxanthellate gorgonaceans grow. Type of substrate, amount of light and wave turbulence, are probably the main physical environmental factors that determine zonation and distribution patterns of gorgonaceans in the study area.