GEOLOGIC ORIGIN AND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION DETERMINE ECOLOGICAL FATE OF SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO CORAL REEFS

Past geological origin and current geographic location determine the current status and future health and ecological fate of southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs.  Of the 46 named coral reefs in the southern Gulf of Mexico, 31 are located in nearshore (<200m) to mid-continental shelf (22km) waters in the southwestern Gulf off the State of Veracruz, and 15 are located on the outer shelf (130->200 km) offshore in the southeastern Gulf on the Campeche Bank.  Multiple environmental impacts and stressors caused by high human population levels, coupled with high average annual rainfall and runoff have caused the demise of most of the reefs in the southernmost southwestern Gulf and threaten their future existence.  Low human population levels and low rainfall/runoff in the southeastern Gulf provide a brighter, healthier ecological future for coral reefs in that region.  Mexican and American scientists began documenting these northern latitude reefs nearly five decades ago.  Of particular scientific interest was the location of the Veracruz reefs in a terrigenous sedimentary province and being near the ecological limits of Western Atlantic Tropical Biogeographic Region.