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Keck
Geology Consortium
Tilefish
Project
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Project
Description
Sand tilefish (Malacanthus plumieri) inhabit shallow-water environments
and build mounds of rubble over their burrows to protect against predators
and erosion by high-energy waves. Previous studies have examined
the behavior and ecology of shallow-water tilefish, but relatively little
is known about the sedimentology of the mounds or the impacts of tilefish
on the sedimentary processes. Although tilefish have been around
since the early Tertiary, their mounds are not well recognized in the
geological record. In Cozumel, most tilefish mounds are constructed
of rhodoliths and fragments of coral and mollusk shells. Preliminary
investigations suggest that mound size decreases with water depth and
that fragment size within mounds also decreases with increasing water
depth. A primary objective of this project is to characterize
the sedimentary aspects of tilefish mounds and to understand how these
relate to environmental conditions.
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Information
|
Abstract of
poster presented in the Carbonate
Session of the GSA Meeting in Seattle |
| Photographs from the Field |
| Download
a Description and List
of Suggested Gear (PDF format) |
| Photographs
of tilefish and mounds |
| QuickTime movie clips of tilefish (long and short) |
| Photographs
of Cozumel marine organisms |
| SEM
photographs (1, 2, 3,
4) of forams & spicules from Cozumel |
| Distribution
of grain sizes in Cozumel sand |
| Nautical
chart of Villa Blanca Wall (small
and large
jpegs) |
| Nautical charts of north,
northwest, west,
and south coasts (72 dpi) |
| Nautical charts of north,
northwest, west, and
south coasts (250 dpi) |
| PADI - Professional
Association of Diving Instructors |
| DAN - Divers
Alert Network |
Faculty
|
Steve Ballou
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| Carol
Mankiewicz |
| Karl
Wirth |
| Project
Links |
Description
of Tilefish Project at the Keck Geology Consortium |
| REEF
(Reef Environmental Education Foundation) |
| Check
out the Fish ID quiz and Gallery at the REEF website |
| Lots
of fish information at FishBase |
| A
direct link to the sand tilefish
page at FishBase |
| Photos
of coral reef creatures at ReefImages |
|
Contemplating a meal of tilefish? Check Seafood
Choices first! |
| An Introduction
to the Rhodophyta (Red Algae) |
| Satellite
image of Chicxulub Crater, Yucatan Peninsula and Cozumel |
Cozumel Links
|
Our
dive operator - Papa Hogs Scuba Eporium |
| Our
lodging at the Hogtown Motel |
| Lonely
Planet's Online Guide to Cozumel |
| Cozumel
and Emergency Info at Travelnotes |
| Hyperbaric
Chambers: Buceo
Medico Mexicana & Cozumel
Hyperbaric Research |
| Weather
in Cozumel from Wunderground |
| Current
Satellite Image Map from the Weather Channel |
