@article{fdi:010067621,
  title = {{R}eefs at the edge : coral community structure around {R}apa, southernmost {F}rench {P}olynesia},
  author = {{A}djeroud, {M}ehdi and {W}allace, {C}. {C}. and {B}osserelle, {P}. and {P}ayri, {C}laude and {M}enou, {J}. {L}. and {P}ichon, {M}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{R}apa (27 degrees 36{S}, 144 degrees 20{W}) is a small (similar to 40km(2)) volcanic island isolated in the {S}outhern {A}ustral {A}rchipelago, where direct anthropogenic stressors are extremely limited. {H}ere, we present the results of the first quantitative survey of coral community structure across habitats and depths around the island. {D}espite its geographical isolation in the depauperate {S}outh {C}entral {P}acific, its small size and unfavourable environmental conditions (competition with macroalgae, low sea surface temperatures, reduced reef accretion), the diversity of scleractinian corals at {R}apa is particularly high (112 species from 32 genera, including 37 species of {A}cropora) in comparison to other {F}rench {P}olynesian islands and subtropical {P}acific locations. {O}ur results indicate that the abundance (>100 colonies per 10m(2) recorded at nine of the 17 sampling stations) and cover (>40% at four stations) of corals are relatively high for a marginal reef location. {S}trong spatial heterogeneity was found, with high variation in diversity, abundance, cover and community composition among stations. {V}ariation in community composition was related to habitat types, with distinct assemblages among fringing reefs within bays, reef formations at bay entrances, and those on the submerged platform surrounding the island. {O}n the platform, a depth gradient was detected, with generic richness, abundance and cover generally greater at deeper stations (18-20m depth) compared with medium-depth (10-12m) and shallow (1-3m) stations. {A} gradient was also recorded along bays, with increasing coral diversity and abundance from the bay heads to the bay entrances. {T}he coral community at {R}apa was characterized by the presence of several taxa not found in other {F}rench {P}olynesian archipelagos and the rarity of others that are common and abundant in the {S}ociety and the {T}uamotu islands. {A}nother distinctive feature of reef communities at {R}apa is the high cover and dominance of macroalgae, particularly in the shallower parts of the surrounding platform, which probably explains the lower densities of coral colonies recorded there. {T}hese characteristics of the diversity and biogeographical composition of coral assemblages at {R}apa provide considerable ecological grounds for its conservation.},
  keywords = {{A}ustral {I}slands ; community structure ; coral reefs ; marginal ; environments ; scleractinian corals ; spatial patterns ; subtropical reefs ; {POLYNESIE} {FRANCAISE} ; {PACIFIQUE} ; {RAPA}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{M}arine {E}cology : an {E}volutionary {P}erspective},
  volume = {37},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {565--575},
  ISSN = {0173-9565},
  year = {2016},
  DOI = {10.1111/maec.12308},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010067621},
}