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El Niño and Coral Reef Development in the Galápagos Islands

A Study of the Urvina Bay Uplift

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Book cover Galápagos Marine Invertebrates

Part of the book series: Topics in Geobiology ((TGBI,volume 8))

Abstract

Among the unusual sights in the Galápagos Islands is Urvina Bay where trees spring from coral heads and iguanas roam among corals. In 1954, the upward movement of magma suddenly raised a portion of Urvina Bay more than 6 m above sea level and drove the shoreline 1.2 km seaward. The uplifted coral communities at Urvina Bay provide an opportunity to determine how Galápagos reefs develop.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Mitchell W. Colgan

    Present address: Department of Geology, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, 29424, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth Sciences Board of Studies, University of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, 95064, USA

    Mitchell W. Colgan

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  1. Mitchell W. Colgan
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, California, USA

    Matthew J. James

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© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Colgan, M.W. (1991). El Niño and Coral Reef Development in the Galápagos Islands. In: James, M.J. (eds) Galápagos Marine Invertebrates. Topics in Geobiology, vol 8. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0646-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0646-5_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0648-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0646-5

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