. Atoll research bulletin. Coral reefs and islands; Marine biology; Marine sciences. 3G 3F o'i \ *<,sand i Fig 18. NE tip of Toke (Taka) Atoll in the vicinity of several September 1988 marine survery stations. Dotted line represents submerged reef. Stars represent reef # qq sites of special interest. Scale: 1" = 1 mi „< lagoon •3E. ocean The lagoon margins of Toke's perimeter reefs are not elevated above mean low water as is the case at Pikaar and Bok-ak atolls. Furthermore, lagoon tidal fluctuations are more closely in phase and amplitude with those on the ocean side. At the most,
. Atoll research bulletin. Coral reefs and islands; Marine biology; Marine sciences. 3G 3F o'i \ *<,sand i Fig 18. NE tip of Toke (Taka) Atoll in the vicinity of several September 1988 marine survery stations. Dotted line represents submerged reef. Stars represent reef # qq sites of special interest. Scale: 1" = 1 mi „< lagoon •3E. ocean The lagoon margins of Toke's perimeter reefs are not elevated above mean low water as is the case at Pikaar and Bok-ak atolls. Furthermore, lagoon tidal fluctuations are more closely in phase and amplitude with those on the ocean side. At the most, water levels in the lagoon at low tide were only a few inches higher than outside low tide levels. Thus, Toke's lagoon does not have the perched or elevated lagoon reefs and water levels characterizing the other two atolls, and exchange of waters between the lagoon and ocean is more pronounced. Besides the deep passage near Toke island with a depth of 12 fathoms (22m) and a width of over 100m (Figures 19-20), Toke Atoll also has several other shallower passages through the western reef, three of which were visited during the 1988 surveys (sites 31, 3J, and 3L). Four of the 13 marine sites surveyed at Toke displayed unique or exceptional reef characteristics. All were situated along the lagoon margins of perimeter reefs, two near the passes (sites 3K and 3L) and two in the northeast corner of the lagoon (sites 3G and 3E) where reef pinnacle and patch reef formations are slowly being buried under accumulating sand deposits washing over the reef flats from windward directions (N & E). The team was unable to visit any ocean reef slope sites at Toke due to safety and time limitations. Observations from the ship indicate that live corals dominate the slopes of ocean facing reefs and that sharks were numerous. One of the largest sand cays visited during the expedition occurred at the northeast corner (Figure 18) of Toke Atoll (site 3F). Comparison between Army maps based upon
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