Indo-Pacific islands

Beachrock forms due to cementation of beach sediments under a thin cover of sediment in the intertidal zone. The sediment cover is important because in order to precipitate cement, a stable substrate (i.e. stable pore space) is required. Erosion of the cover of unlithified sediment leads to beachrock exposure. The rapid formation of beachrock in the intertidal zone was well-known to 19th century writers (e.g. Moresby, 1835 Gardiner, 1898). For example, inhabitants of Indo-Pacific islands were known to harvest beachrock for building stone where new occurrences formed on the same beach within a few years. Further reports confirming rapid formation... 

Fang GH, Wei ZX (2002) The South China Sea branch of the Indo-Pacific through flow and its oceanographic implication. In Proceedings of the 5th Cross-Strait Conference on Oceanography of Water of Taiwan Island and Its Adjacent Areas,... 

Polhemus, D. A. (1996) Island arcs and their influence on Indo-Pacific biogeography. In The Origin and Evolution of Pacific Island Biotas, New Guinea to Eastern Polynesia Patterns and Processes (ed. A. Keast and S.E MiUer). SPB Academic Publishing, Amsterdam, pp. 215-232. 

The biodiversity of Mangrove ecosystems is the most profound in the islands and coastline of the Indo-West-Pacific region, where the occurrence of 44 varieties has been reported. On the Atlantic Ocean coast Mangrove ecosystems are especially widespread in the Caribbean region. The chemical composition of plant species and soils of Mangrove ecosystems have been recently discussed (Dobrovolsky, 1994). 

Dr. Ivan M. Johnston of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University described San Jos as follows "The forests of San Jose most resemble in important details large areas of forest in Burma, Siam, Indo-China, Malaya, the Philippines and Formosa, and the woodland is similar to that of the Bonin and Luchu Islands." San Jose Proj Miscellaneous Rpt, Forest Types of San Jos6 Compared With Those of Southwestern Pacific and Southeastern Asia, 8 Dec 44, in Tech Lib, ACmlC, Md. 

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