@article{fdi:010042610,
  title = {{N}ature and biological composition of the {N}ew {C}aledonian outer barrier reef slopes},
  author = {{F}lamand, {B}enoit and {C}abioch, {G}uy and {P}ayri, {C}laude and {P}elletier, {B}ernard},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he {G}rande {T}erre of {N}ew {C}aledonia is enclosed by one of the longest barrier reefs in the world. {F}or the first time, the fore-reef slopes of this barrier reef have been sampled by dredging, from 40 to 320 m deep, in order to analyze their sedimentological and biological characteristics. {T}he rocks and sediments can be divided into seven sedimentary facies: bindstones dominated by coralline algal crusts, bindstones dominated by foraminiferal crusts, bindstones dominated by bryozoan crusts, coral framestones, bindstones and interstratified packstones rich in skeletal debris, packstones/wackestones and grainstones rich in rock gravels. {R}adiocarbon dating performed on encrusting organisms (coralline algae and acervulmids) and corals provide ages relatively young. {T}hese ages confirm that the encrusting organisms are modem and the corals mainly dated of {H}olocene are reworked due to the instability of the fore-reef slopes, especially during storms. {B}ecause the biological assemblages are distributed according to a bathymetric range depending on light intensity, a model of distribution of modem encrusting calcareous organisms can be proposed from our observations and analyses. {F}rom the upper reef slopes to approximately 90 in, thick coralline algal crusts are dominant and distributed in three groups. {G}roup {C}, the shallowest parts of the fore slopes, is mainly characterized by mastophorids ({H}ydrolithon reinboldii, {H}. cf. munitum, {L}ithoporella melobesoides, {A}ethesolithon cf. problematicum, {N}eogoniolithon sp. and undetermined species) and lithophylloids ({L}ithophyllum sp., {L}. pustulatum). {G}roup {B}, composed of lithophylloids ({L}ithophyllum sp., {L}. cf. kotschyanum, {L}. cf. moluccence, {L}. pustulatum), {M}esophyllum sp. and {P}eyssonnelia sp. occurs from 15 to 40 in. {G}roup {A}, rich in {M}esophyllum sp., {M}. cf mesomorphum, {P}eyssonnelia sp. and {S}porolithon sp. is characteristic of deep reef slopes up to 90 in. {B}elow approximately 90 in, when the light intensity decreases, the encrusting foraminifera acervulinids progressively replace the coralline algal crusts. {S}uch a model is particularly useful to interpret and reconstruct the past {Q}uaternary reef environments rich in crusts of coralline algae and/or foraminifera.},
  keywords = {{N}ew {C}aledonia ; barrier reef slope ; biological assemblages ; encrusting organisms ; bathymetric range},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{M}arine {G}eology},
  volume = {250},
  numero = {3-4},
  pages = {157--179},
  ISSN = {0025-3227},
  year = {2008},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.margeo.2007.12.002},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010042610},
}