SUBTIDAL EFFECTS OF A LARGE TYPHOON ON MIYAKE-JIMA, JAPAN

Abstract

On October 19, 1979, a large typhoon passed within 160 km of the Japanese Island of Miyakejima. The typhoon generated surf in excess of 7 m. A well known bay was surveyed after the storm, revealing significant effects in both the substrate and algal coverage. Disruption was most severe in the 5-10 m depth range; a shallower site was less affected. This may be a result of both large waves breaking farther offshore and the acclimation of shallow areas to typhoons as a result of previous storms of lower magnitude. Decreases in the abundance of 18 species of tropical reef fishes did not follow a depth dependent pattern and were thought to result from both mortality and displacement. It is hypothesized that strong differences in the level of reduction between species resulted from differential mortality due to spatial and behavioral differences between species.