Reefs and Coral Carpets in the Miocene Paratethys (Badenian, Leitha Limestone, Austria)

Biohermal (reefs) and biostromal (coral carpets) facies were studied in the Austrian Middle Miocene Leitha Limestone. In the Vienna Basin ("Fenk quarry") non-framebuilding and framebuilding biostromal coral communities were found. In the Styrian Basin, well developed patch reefs were observed besides coral carpets. In the Fenk quarry, 2 coral carpet types, four non-framework coral communities, and one bivalve/coral community were found. In "Retznei quarry" (Styrian Basin) patch reefs, basal corallinacean calcarenites were followed by a Ponies layer capped by marl, and the main reef-building higher diversity phase dominated by faviids ( Montastraea, Tarbellastraea ). In the "Tittenbacher quarry" no internal zonation was observed in the patch reef. The differences between reef, coral carpet, and non-framebuilding coral communities are equivalent to those in Recent systems (e.g., Red Sea). Our study therefore provides clear evidence that coral bioherms and biostromes occurred as distinct systems in the past and the Recent.