Datasets relating to samples collected from the reef flat physiographic zone of Wistari Reef

Updated: 2014-12-16

Wistari Reef is a lagoonal platform reef, situated on the Tropic of Capricorn, within the Capricorn and Bunker region of the southern Great Barrier Reef. Surface samples were taken from the reef-flat to determine the mean grainsize and the sorting coefficient and also the proportion of aragonite to calcite within the samples. In this area the average mean grainsize is ~0.19phi, with an average sorting coefficient of 0.58phi. The reef flat features moderately well-sorted coarse to very coarse sand, and can be divided into two sub-groups: the windward reef flats (samples S62 and S61) and the leeward reef flats (samples S24, S25 and S02). XRD analysis on two samples indicate a higher proportion of aragonite (57-67%) than calcite.