Recurrent disturbances, recovery trajectories, and resilience of coral assemblages on a South Central Pacific reef |
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Authors: | M Adjeroud F Michonneau P J Edmunds Y Chancerelle T Lison de Loma L Penin L Thibaut J Vidal-Dupiol B Salvat and R Galzin |
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Institution: | (1) Centre de Biologie et Ecologie Tropicale et M?diterran?enne, UMR 5244 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Universit? de Perpignan via Domitia, 66860 Perpignan, France;(2) Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l’Environnement, UMS 2978 CNRS-EPHE, BP 1013, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia;(3) Department of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA;(4) Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA;(5) Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia;(6) Institut de Recherche pour le D?veloppement, UR 128 Coreus, Universit? de Perpignan via Domitia, 66860 Perpignan, France |
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Abstract: | Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by various disturbances, and a critical challenge is to determine their ability for
resistance and resilience. Coral assemblages in Moorea, French Polynesia, have been impacted by multiple disturbances (one
cyclone and four bleaching events between 1991 and 2006). The 1991 disturbances caused large declines in coral cover (~51%
to ~22%), and subsequent colonization by turf algae (~16% to ~49%), but this phase-shift from coral to algal dominance has
not persisted. Instead, the composition of the coral community changed following the disturbances, notably favoring an increased
cover of Porites, reduced cover of Montipora and Pocillopora, and a full return of Acropora; in this form, the reef returned to pre-disturbance coral cover within a decade. Thus, this coral assemblage is characterized
by resilience in terms of coral cover, but plasticity in terms of community composition. |
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Keywords: | Coral Bleaching Cyclone Phase-shift Resilience Moorea |
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