Marine Biodiversity of a Pristine Coral Reef in French Polynesia
Understanding the natural state of coral reefs is paramount to evaluate the response of these ecosystems to local and global human impacts as well as management and conservation strategies. In French Polynesia, some islands are still pristine or uninhabited, such as Tupai atoll. Tupai has been uninh...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Island Studies Journal
2021-05-01
|
| Series: | Island Studies Journal |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.150 |
| _version_ | 1797769965622788096 |
|---|---|
| author | David Lecchini Frédéric Bertucci Lily Fogg Camille Gache Pascal Ung Yann Lacube Cecile Berthe Viliame Waqalevu Alain Siu Tamatoa Bambridge |
| author_facet | David Lecchini Frédéric Bertucci Lily Fogg Camille Gache Pascal Ung Yann Lacube Cecile Berthe Viliame Waqalevu Alain Siu Tamatoa Bambridge |
| author_sort | David Lecchini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding the natural state of coral reefs is paramount to evaluate the response of these ecosystems to local and global human impacts as well as management and conservation strategies. In French Polynesia, some islands are still pristine or uninhabited, such as Tupai atoll. Tupai has been uninhabited, with access to the lagoon prohibited since 2010. However, fishers from nearby islands often take from the outer reef slope at Tupai. Our marine biodiversity survey (coral, macro-invertebrates, and fish) conducted in 2019 highlighted a low density of commercial fish species and top-predators on the outer slope in comparison to the lagoon, where the top-predators represented 16% (of the density) of functional trophic groups. Our surveys also showed a high living coral cover (46%) on the outer slope of Tupai, perhaps due to the absence of both touristic sub-aquatic activities and local pollution from private and commercial activities. Overall, this initial scientific assessment of Tupai has granted an understanding of the spatial patterns of coral, macro-invertebrates, and fish assemblages in the absence of human impacts (i.e., in the lagoon), representing an ecological baseline that could inform conservation management strategies to ensure the preservation of coral reef ecosystem. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:16:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4292faeba686436b99975865b3f3dc4c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1715-2593 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:16:43Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Island Studies Journal |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Island Studies Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-4292faeba686436b99975865b3f3dc4c2023-07-29T06:40:15ZengIsland Studies JournalIsland Studies Journal1715-25932021-05-01161Marine Biodiversity of a Pristine Coral Reef in French PolynesiaDavid LecchiniFrédéric BertucciLily FoggCamille GachePascal UngYann LacubeCecile BertheViliame WaqalevuAlain SiuTamatoa BambridgeUnderstanding the natural state of coral reefs is paramount to evaluate the response of these ecosystems to local and global human impacts as well as management and conservation strategies. In French Polynesia, some islands are still pristine or uninhabited, such as Tupai atoll. Tupai has been uninhabited, with access to the lagoon prohibited since 2010. However, fishers from nearby islands often take from the outer reef slope at Tupai. Our marine biodiversity survey (coral, macro-invertebrates, and fish) conducted in 2019 highlighted a low density of commercial fish species and top-predators on the outer slope in comparison to the lagoon, where the top-predators represented 16% (of the density) of functional trophic groups. Our surveys also showed a high living coral cover (46%) on the outer slope of Tupai, perhaps due to the absence of both touristic sub-aquatic activities and local pollution from private and commercial activities. Overall, this initial scientific assessment of Tupai has granted an understanding of the spatial patterns of coral, macro-invertebrates, and fish assemblages in the absence of human impacts (i.e., in the lagoon), representing an ecological baseline that could inform conservation management strategies to ensure the preservation of coral reef ecosystem.https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.150 |
| spellingShingle | David Lecchini Frédéric Bertucci Lily Fogg Camille Gache Pascal Ung Yann Lacube Cecile Berthe Viliame Waqalevu Alain Siu Tamatoa Bambridge Marine Biodiversity of a Pristine Coral Reef in French Polynesia Island Studies Journal |
| title | Marine Biodiversity of a Pristine Coral Reef in French Polynesia |
| title_full | Marine Biodiversity of a Pristine Coral Reef in French Polynesia |
| title_fullStr | Marine Biodiversity of a Pristine Coral Reef in French Polynesia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Marine Biodiversity of a Pristine Coral Reef in French Polynesia |
| title_short | Marine Biodiversity of a Pristine Coral Reef in French Polynesia |
| title_sort | marine biodiversity of a pristine coral reef in french polynesia |
| url | https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.150 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidlecchini marinebiodiversityofapristinecoralreefinfrenchpolynesia AT fredericbertucci marinebiodiversityofapristinecoralreefinfrenchpolynesia AT lilyfogg marinebiodiversityofapristinecoralreefinfrenchpolynesia AT camillegache marinebiodiversityofapristinecoralreefinfrenchpolynesia AT pascalung marinebiodiversityofapristinecoralreefinfrenchpolynesia AT yannlacube marinebiodiversityofapristinecoralreefinfrenchpolynesia AT cecileberthe marinebiodiversityofapristinecoralreefinfrenchpolynesia AT viliamewaqalevu marinebiodiversityofapristinecoralreefinfrenchpolynesia AT alainsiu marinebiodiversityofapristinecoralreefinfrenchpolynesia AT tamatoabambridge marinebiodiversityofapristinecoralreefinfrenchpolynesia |