@article{fdi:010090222,
  title = {{H}igh densities, rapid infestation and high feeding rates of corallivore gastropods on corals in {B}ora-{B}ora {I}sland, {F}rench {P}olynesia},
  author = {{G}autrand, {L}. and {G}airin, {E}. and {S}owinski, {J}. and {S}owinski, {L}. and {K}rimou, {S}. and {T}rotier, {M}. and {M}inier, {L}. and {C}hamot, {Z}. and {G}ourlaouen, {A}. and {W}aqalevu, {V}. and {R}ene-{T}rouillefou, {M}. and {M}ills, {S}. {C}. and {B}ertucci, {F}r{\'e}d{\'e}ric and {L}ecchini, {D}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he global decline of coral reefs has prompted research into understanding the impacts of anthro-pogenic stressors, as well as the interactions between corals and their natural predators, especially those that proliferate into outbreaks. {H}owever, studies on gastropod corallivores are lagging behind. {T}he present study, conducted on {B}ora-{B}ora ({F}rench {P}olynesia), focused on two genera of corallivore muricid gastropods: {D}rupella spp. living on {A}cropora colonies and {C}oralliophila violacea on {P}orites rus colonies. {A}n observational experiment of {D}rupella spp. and {C}. violacea showed strong spatial variation in densities across different habitats (fringing reef, channel, barrier reef) in {B}ora-{B}ora lagoon. {T}he highest densities found were 21 & {PLUSMN}; 6 ind.m-3 of coral for {D}rupella spp. on the fringing reef, and 342 & {PLUSMN}; 51 ind.m-3 for {C}. violacea on the barrier reef. {A} manipulation experiment monitored the infestation dynamics of these gastropods. {F}or both genera, colonization of vacant coral colonies was rapid during the first 14 days and then stabilized over the next 42 days. {T}he manipulation experiment showed that the feeding rate on live and healthy coral tissue did not change significantly with {D}rupella spp. density (0.6 & {PLUSMN}; 0.2 cm2/day/ind for 1 {D}rupella spp., and 0.5 & {PLUSMN}; 0.1 cm2/day/ind for 5 {D}rupella spp.). {O}verall, our study highlights the high densities of two gastropod species, their rapid movement and infestation of vacant colonies and their role in the necrosis of corals during feeding. {I}n view of the possible outbreaks involving high densities of such predatory gastropods in a major tourist destination in the {P}acific {O}cean, human resources could be put in place to manually remove these gastropods in a sustainable manner, but this would require a lot of effort in terms of manpower and time. {N}ature-based solutions such as the conservation of natural predators should be considered to prevent large-scale destructions by these gastropod aggregations.},
  keywords = {{C}orallivore gastropods ; {F}eeding rates ; {I}nfestation dynamics ; {C}oral necrosis ; {D}rupella spp. ; {C}oralliophila violacea ; {POLYNESIE} {FRANCAISE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{R}egional {S}tudies in {M}arine {S}cience},
  volume = {66},
  numero = {},
  pages = {103125 [20 ]},
  ISSN = {2352-4855},
  year = {2023},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.rsma.2023.103125},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010090222},
}