BMB TECHNICAL BULLETIN

Guidelines on the Assessment of

Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

Benthic Lifeforms
Benthic lifeforms identification

What to look out for:

a. Coral lifeforms
“
ex.
- massive, branching, foliose,
sub-massive

b. Other lifeforms
ex.
- Algae, other organisms,
rock, silt, sand, etc
 Benthic lifeform categories

6 Major
benthic
lifeform
categories
Hard corals

“
 Digitate (ACD) Branching(ACB) Hard corals (HC): Acropora

Sub-massive (ACS) Tabulate (ACT)

Hard corals (HC): Acropora

axial
corallite

Radial
corallite
ACB:
Branching
Acropora
-with 2° branches
ACD:
Digitate
Acropora
-without 2° branches
ACT:
Table
Acropora
 ACS: Submassive Acropora
-No distinct axial corallite
 ACE: Encrusting Acropora
(A. crateriformis)

-No distinct axial corallite

Non- Acropora

Massive (CM) (Sub-massive) Encrusting (CE)

Mushroom (CMR) Heliopora Millepora (CME) Foliose (CF)

(CHL)
 Diploastrea
Non- Acropora
CM massive

Oulophyllia

Pavona

Porites
 Pectinia

Non- Acropora
CF foliose

Montipora

Pavona
 Herpolitha
Non- Acropora
CMR mushroom -
unattached fungids

Diaseris Cycloseris
Non- Acropora
CME fire coral –
Millepora
* Order Hydrozoa
Non- Acropora
CHL blue coral -
Heliopora
coerulea

* Order Octocorallia
Soft Corals (SC)
Soft Corals
(SC)

Order Octocoralla
Sarcophyton

Sinularia
Clavularia
Soft coral (Clavularia sp) Hard coral (Goniopora sp)

- 8 feathery tentacles - 24 tentacles

- Retracts when disturbed
showing coral skeleton
Dead corals (DC)/ with algae (DCA)

Dead coral
DC

Dead coral
with
Algae (DCA)
Dead corals (DC)/ with algae (DCA)

DC recent mortality (eg

bleached, diseased, etc.)
corallites clearly
distinguishable

DCA dead coral with

(overgrown) algae
Other animals (OT)

Sponges (SP) Sea urchin Sea star

Sea anemone Sea cucumber Sea star

Other animals (OT)

Gorgonian COT Aglaopaenia

Zoanthids (ZO) Feather stars Giant clams

Sponge (SP)

Encrusting

Basket sponge
Macro-algae (MA)
Plants/Algae

Caulerpa (Lato) Gracilaria (Guso) Sargassum

Padina Halymenia sp
Macro-algae (MA)
Plants/Algae

Coralline algae (CA) Halimeda (HA) Seagrass (SG)

 MA macro algae
Macro-algae (MA)
Plants/Algae

HA Halimeda
TA turf algae

AA algal
assemblage
Seagrass (SG)
Abiotic component (AB) non-living

Rubbles

Rock

Silt

Sand
Abiotic component (AB) non-living

Rubbles (R)

Rock (RCK)

Silt (SI)

Sand (S)
Thanks!
Any questions?