Small-scale variability in the size structure of scleractinian corals around Moorea, French Polynesia: patterns across depths and locations |
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Authors: | Mehdi Adjeroud Morgan S Pratchett Marie C Kospartov Christophe Lejeusne Lucie Penin |
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Institution: | (1) Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, UMR 5244 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Laboratoire “Ecosystèmes Aquatiques Tropicaux et Méditerranéens”, Université de Perpignan, Avenue Paul Alduy, Perpignan Cedex, 66860, France;(2) Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l’Environnement, Papetoai, Moorea, BP 1013, French Polynesia;(3) ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Q4811, Australia;(4) Center for Marine Studies, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Q4072, Australia;(5) Centre Océanologique de Marseille, UMR 6540, DIMAR, rue de la batterie des lions, 13007 Marseille, France |
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Abstract: | The size structure of coral populations is influenced by biotic and physical factors, as well as species-specific demographic
rates (recruitment, colony growth, mortality). Coral reefs surrounding Moorea Island are characterized by strong environmental
gradients at small spatial scales, and therefore, we expected that the size structure of coral populations would vary greatly
at this scale. This study aimed at determining the degree of spatial heterogeneity in the population size structure of two
coral taxa, Pocillopora meandrina and massive Porites spp., among depths (6, 12, and 18 m) and among locations (Vaipahu, Tiahura and Haapiti) representing different exposure to
hydrodynamic forces. Our results clearly underlined the strong heterogeneity in the size structure of both P. meandrina and massive Porites spp., with marked variation among depths and among locations. However, the lack of any consistent and regular trends in the
size structure along depths or among locations, and the lack of correlation between size structure and mean recruitment rates
may suggest that other factors (e.g., stochastic life history processes, biotic interactions, and disturbances) further modify
the structure of coral populations. We found that the size structure of P. meandrina was fundamentally different to that of massive Porites spp., reflecting the importance of life history characteristics in population dynamics.
Handling editor: I. Nagelkerken |
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Keywords: | Coral reefs Scleractinian corals Spatial patterns Population structure Size-frequency distribution Life histories |
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