Paleontology and depositional environments of the Pleistocene coral reefs of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt

The Pleistocene coral reefs at Gebel Zeit and Ras Gemsha (western side of the Gulf of Suez) form terraces of different elevations above the present sea level. The identified 30 species of bryozoans, corals and molluscs are of strongly Indo-Pacific affinity. Many coral specimens show no alteration of their primary microstructure, but a few are affected by early meteoric diagenesis. The differences in Sr, Ca and Mg among coral families and their relation to diagenetic alterations are documented. The reconstructed depositional environments reach from upper reef slope to back-reef and water-depths from 1 to 50 meters.