Lorrain Anne auteur aut IRD Houlbrèque Fanny auteur aut IRD Benzoni Francesca auteur aut IRD Barjon L. auteur aut IRD Tremblay-Boyer L. auteur aut IRD Menkès Christophe auteur aut IRD Gillikin D. P. auteur aut IRD Payri Claude auteur aut IRD Jourdan Hervé auteur aut IRD Boussarie G. auteur aut IRD Verheyden A. auteur aut IRD Vidal Eric auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access Seabirds concentrate nutrients from large marine areas on their nesting islands playing an important ecological role in nutrient transfer between marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Here we investigate the role of guano on corals reefs across scales by analyzing the stable nitrogen isotopic (delta N-15) values of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis on fringing reefs around two Pacific remote islets with large seabird colonies. Marine stations closest to the seabird colonies had higher nitrate + nitrite concentrations compared to more distant stations. Coral and zooxanthellae delta N-15 values were also higher at these sites, suggesting that guano-derived nitrogen is assimilated into corals and contributes to their nitrogen requirements. The spatial extent of guano influence was however restricted to a local scale. Our results demonstrate that seabird-derived nutrients not only spread across the terrestrial ecosystem, but also affect components of the adjacent marine ecosystem. Further studies are now needed to assess if this nutrient input has a positive or negative effect for corals. Such studies on remote islets also open fresh perspectives to understand how nutrients affect coral reefs isolated from other anthropogenic stressors. specialized PACIFIQUE NOUVELLE CALEDONIE CHESTERFIELD MER DE CORAIL ENTRECASTEAUX 036 7 art. 3721 [11 p.] 2017 2045-2322 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010070253 10.1038/s41598-017-03781-y 2045-2322 [F B010070253] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010070253 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers17-07/010070253.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2017-07-26 2023-07-11 fdi:010070253 fre