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8584114 
Journal Article 
Origin of sedimentation and its effects on the coral communities of a Venezuelan national park 
Bone, D; Losada, F; Weil, E 
1993 
0 
Ecotropicos: revista de la Sociedad Venezolana de Ecologia
ISSN: 1012-1692 
6 
1 
10–21 
English 
ZOOR13300037179 
Before 1974, the coral communities of the National Park of Morrocoy, NW of Venezuela, were subjected to several man-made disturbances brought about by an uncontrolled increase in tourism and related activities. In May, 1974, the area was decreed National Park by the government. Despite all the protective measures, the damage suffered by some reefs has increased since then. To quantify this situation several structural parameters of four reefs with healthy and damaged communities were compared. A damage index was calculated, which measured the proportion of coral mortality in all reefs. From all parameters, the damage index was the most sensitive to the deterioration of the reefs. Sedimentological and mineralogical parameters from sediments samples of different reefs together with the analysis of Landsat satellite images, suggested that the extent and degree of the present damage in the northern reefs were mainly due to high sedimentation inputs resulting from erosion ofl and outside the boundaries of the Park. 
Sedimentation; Coral communities; Venezuela impact