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Eleven mutually exclusive zones were identified, from land to deep ocean, corresponding to typical atoll geomorphology. These zones included: Land, Shoreline Intertidal, Reef Flat, Lagoon, Back Reef, Fore Reef, Bank/Shelf, Bank/Shelf Escarpment, Channel, Pinnacle, Dredged/Excavated, and Unknown. Zone refers only to each benthic community’s location and does not address substrate or structure types that are found within. For example, the Lagoon zone may include patch reefs, sand, and reef rubble; however, these are considered structural elements that may or may not occur within the lagoon zone and therefore, are not used to define it. |