Geodiversitas
37 (3) - Pages 367-381In Upper Burdigalian time, coral reefs developed within the Cala di Labra Formation, in the Bonifacio area (South Corsica, France). They are organized into three successive coral reef episodes R1, R2 and R3. The coral fauna comprising 16 reefal species, is described in detail for the first time. Two coral associations are observed. The major framebuilders are Porites Link, 1807, Tarbellastraea Alloiteau, 1950 and Thegioastraea Sismonda, 1871. The coral diversity is maximum (15 species, 8 genera) during R1, then lower during R2 (4 species, 3 genera). Corals of the R3 episode are poorly preserved, so unable for systematic identification. The coral growth forms are mostly tabular massive. The colonies lived under high to moderate energy conditions (ripple-marks, abraded bioclasts, few branching colonies), and permanent siliciclastic inputs. Buildups are mainly fringing reefs with discrete vertical zonation, deposited into shallow water platform domain. This study also synthesizes the coral species previously mentioned in the regional literature and replaces these remarkable coral reefs within the evolution of the Ligurian-Provençal Basin.
Coral reefs, South Corsica, Bonifacio, Upper Burdigalian, Coral associations, Palaeoenvironments
