Two-way ANOVA results.

Rocky reefs are vital ecosystems hosting diverse benthic communities, including sessile organisms like algae, octocorals, and sponges, alongside associated fish and invertebrates, providing numerous ecosystem services. Despite their ecological significance, rocky reefs along the Mexican Atlantic coast remain understudied. This study presents a comprehensive topographic and ecological analysis of four rocky reef sites along the Yucatan Peninsula: Dzilam (La Poza and Small Mountain Range), Telchac, Progreso, and Chicxulub. Using bathymetric surveys, reef structures were mapped, and underwater surveys analyzed the benthic composition. Bathymetric surveys revealed distinct structural morphologies and rugosity indices, while sediment analysis identified varying grain sizes influencing benthic community composition. Macroalgae dominated the benthic cover (64%), followed by long sediment-laden algal turf-(LSAT, 21%) and sessile invertebrates (e.g., sponges). A strong negative correlation (r = −0.754, P

岩礁（Rocky reefs）是至关重要的生态系统，孕育着多样的底栖生物群落（benthic communities），涵盖藻类、八放珊瑚（octocorals）、海绵（sponges）等固着生物（sessile organisms），以及伴生鱼类与无脊椎动物，同时提供诸多生态系统服务（ecosystem services）。尽管岩礁具备重要的生态意义，但墨西哥大西洋沿岸的岩礁仍未得到充分研究。本研究针对尤卡坦半岛沿岸的4处岩礁点位开展了全面的地形与生态分析，所涉点位包括济兰（Dzilam，包含拉波萨（La Poza）与小山脉（Small Mountain Range）两个子区域）、特尔查克（Telchac）、普罗格雷索（Progreso）以及希克苏鲁伯（Chicxulub）。研究借助水深测量（bathymetric surveys）技术完成了礁体结构测绘，并通过水下调查分析了底栖生物组成。水深测量结果显示礁体存在差异化的结构形态与粗糙度指数（rugosity indices），而沉积物分析则识别出会影响底栖生物群落组成的不同粒径沉积物组分。大型藻类（Macroalgae）在底栖覆盖物中占比64%，为优势类群；其次为长含沉积物藻席（long sediment-laden algal turf, LSAT，占比21%）以及固着无脊椎动物（例如海绵）。研究发现二者存在显著负相关关系（r = −0.754, P