May 15, 1959

ATOLL RESEAXCH BULLETIN

No. 69

Contribution t o a German Reef-Terminology by

Gaorg Scheer

Issued by

THE PACIFIC SCIENCE BOAKD

National Academy of Sciences--Rational Rwearch Council Wsshington, D . C.

May 15, 1959

Contribution t o a German Reef-Terminology by

Georg Scheer- 1/

I n Germany recent publications on c o r a l r e e f s a r e lacking due t o i s o l a t i o n before, during, and a f t e r t h e war. The younger generation of zoologists has had no opportunity t o undertake expeditions t o t r o p i c a l s e a s . But the i n t e r e s t i n c o r a l r e e f s and t h e i r inhabitants has always been keen i n Germany.

D r . Hans Hass, the founder of t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e f o r Sub- marine Research, Vaduz ( ~ i e c h t e n s t e i n ) , has placed h i s research ship, t h e yacht "Xarifa" a t t h e disposal of science. I n 1953-5b he c a r r i e d out an expedition t o t h e Caribbean Sea and t o t h e Galapagos Islands i n t h e Eastern P a c i f i c . He l e d another expedition i n 1957-58 t o t h e Red Sea and t o t h e Maldive Islands i n the Indian Ocean. I

am

much obliged t o D r . Hass f o r giving me t h e opportunity t o take p a r t i n both expeditions.

During both voyages we were diving with oxygen and compressed-air diving equipment. I n t h i s way we were a b l e t o study the c o r a l r e e f s i n t h e i r many aspects by d i r e c t observation. We worked i n a team, one c o l - l e c t i n g fishes, others making behavioural s t u d i e s and s o on. D r . Hass and I were p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e formation of c o r a l r e e f s and i n the s o c i o l o g i c a l composition of t h e i r d i f f e r e n t p a r t s .

Soon we r e a l i z e d t h e n e c e s s i t y t o use a c l e a r l y defined nomencla- t u r e f o r t h e d i f f e r e n t p a r t s of a c o r a l r e e f , and t o coordinate t h i s German nomenclature with the English one. After long discussions with the other members of expedition (Dr. Hans Hass; Prof. D r . W. Luther, d i r e c t o r of t h e Zoological I n s t i t u t e of t h e University Darmstadt; D r . I.

Eibl-Eibesfeldt, Max Planck-Institute f o r Verhaltensphysiologie,

Seewiesen; D r . L. Franzislret, d i r e c t o r of the Museum of Natural History, Nuenster; D r . S. Gerlach, Zoological I n s t i t u t e of t h e University Kiel;

and D r . W. Klausewitz, Research I n s t i t u t e and Museurn Senckenberg, Frank- f u r t a.M.) may I present i n t h e following l i n e s a few German terms with English equivalents. They concern mainly a t o l l s , but they a r e applicable

i n l i k e manner t o a l l other r e e f s . This terminology does not go f o r t h e present i n t o d e t a i l s , b u t handles only t h e g r e a t s t r i k i n g c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s

of r e e f s .

The following l i s t contains mostly t r a n s l a t i o n s of English expres- sions, because t h e r e a r e not such far-reaching subdivisions of c o r a l r e e f s i n t h e older German publications. I take a s b a s i s f o r t h e termin- ology t h e p u b l i c a t ons of Tracey, Cloud and Emery: "Conspicuous Features

11 27

of Organic Reefs

- ,

of Harry: "Ichthyological F i e l d Data of Raroia Atoll, Tuamotu ArchipelagoU3, and of Kuenen: " C l a s s i f i c a t i o n of Reefs and t h e i r Component p a r t s l T i

I'

^{A l l} these publications include f i g u r e s il- l u s t r a t i n g t h e English names mentioned i n t h i s paper.

---....---

1. Zoological Department, Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt, Germany.

2. A t o l l Research B u l l e t i n No. 46, 1955

.

^j

3.

A t o l l Research B u l l e t i n No. 1 8 1953, p. 21-26

4. Marine Geology, New Yorlc 1950, chapter

6:

Coral Reefs, p . 423-430

REEFS I N GENERAL

-

^{RIFFE, ALLGENEIN}

f r i n g i n g r e e f Kuestenriff o r Saumriff b a r r i e r r e e f Wallriff o r B a r r i e r e r i f f

a t o l l

-

A t o l l

r e e f grovrn up independently i n Fleckenriff o r Flachseeriff lagoons of b a r r i e r s and a t o l l s

drowned r e e f ertrunkenes

-

^Riff

u p l i f t e d r e e f gehobenes

-

^{R i f f}

SEAWARD REEF AUSSEIIRIFF

o u t e r slope _{. ..}

t e r r a c e

bench o r shelf

under-reef cavern

r e e f f r o n t

surge channel surge zone

s u r f zone

Aussenabhang, i f t h e slope i s not t o o steep;

Aussenwand, i f t h e slope i s steep, about 70 t o 90' t o l e v e l

Terrasse, a ijroad, l i t t l e i n c l i n e d s t e p i n t h e slope

Absatz, a small t e r r a c e , i n t e r r u p t - ing t h e slope

Hoehle, g r e a t cavern;

Grotte, small cavern Rif fabhang;

Riffvand, t h e s t r o n g l y i n c l i n e d p a r t of t h e slope, vhich i s more o r l e s s covered vrith l i v i n g c o r a l s

Brandungsrinne

\Jellenzone t h e outward p a r t of a ₁ surge channel

Brecherzone, t h e inner, landward p a r t of a surge channel

(wellenzone

-

and Brecherzone together --therand--

b u t t r e s s Riegel

groove and buttress-system Rinnensystem

r e e f margin Rif fkante

a l g a l ridge

-

L i thotharnnionvrall

REEF FLAT

seaward edge tidepool

a sandy zone i n shallow water i n f r o n t of t h e coast

i n t e r - i s l a n d charnel ISLAND

seaward beach shingle rampart boulder rampart

beachroclc lagoon beach

LAGOON REEF

FLI-IT

a sandy zone i n shallow water between the i s l a n d and t h e lagoon

lagoon reef margin Lagoon reef face

LAGOON

lagoon slope lagoon f l o o r

c o r a l head, knoll, o r mound Rcropora t h i c k e t

t a l l narrow pinnacle patch reef

miniature a t o l l

RIFFPLATTE RussenIwte

-

Fluttuempel

s e e s e i t i g e Seicht17asser-Sandzone

R i f fkanal INSEL

-

Aussenstrand o r Meeresstrand Geroell-Strandwall

Block-Strandwall Strandsandstein Lagunenstr and

lagunenseitige Seichtvasser- Sandzone

Innenrif flcante Innenriffhang

LAGUNE Innenhang Lagunenboden Korallenblock Acroporenhecke nrm

-

Buckelrif f o r Korallenbuckel Miniaturatoll, an atoll-shaped

vatch r e e f with a r i n g of l i v i n g

-

c o r a l s around a deeper f l a t cov- ered with sand and dead, broken c o r a l s

f a r o

-

Faro, an atoll-shaped reef of g r e a t e r extension with a d i s - t i n c t lagoon

This l i s t may serve a s a base f o r a more elaborated German reef terminology. With g r e a t e s t i n t e r e s t we a r e looking forward t o t h e Reef Terminology Index, which t h e P a c i f i c Science Board of t h e National

Acaderqy of Sciences-National Research Council, Washington, D. C . , i s pre- paring.