@article{fdi:010091560,
  title = {{A}ssessing the effects of coral reef habitat and marine protected areas on threatened megafauna using aerial surveys},
  author = {{H}eudier, {M}. and {M}ouillot, {D}. and {M}annocci, {L}aura},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{O}verfishing and habitat degradation are major threats to marine megafauna worldwide. {M}arine protected areas ({MPA}s) are effective spatial conservation tools for reducing anthropogenic pressures on threatened species but their benefits

for megafauna are still debated. {W}hile the effects of {MPA}s on species abundances are widely reported, few studies have simultaneously investigated the confounding effect of habitat.{T}his study aimed at disentangling the effects of coral reef

habitat and spatial protection on megafauna densities in a shallow lagoon partly covered by a no-take {MPA} in {N}ew {C}aledonia ({S}outh-west {P}acific).{T}wenty replicates of aerial-video surveys (representing 17 h of videos) were conducted during

a 5-month period to estimate and map the densities of five megafauna taxa (dugongs, sea turtles, sharks, {D}asyatidae rays and {M}yliobatidae rays). {A} permutational multivariate analysis of variance was then applied to assess and disentangle

the effects of coral reef habitat obtained from high-resolution satellite imagery and spatial protection on megafauna taxa densities.{T}he analysis revealed a significant effect of protection for sharks and {M}yliobatidae, with observed densities

respectively 9 and 3 times higher inside the {MPA} compared with outside. {T}he results also highlighted a significant combined effect of habitat and protection for dugongs and {D}asyatidae, as well as a significant effect of habitat alone for

{D}asyatidae. {I}n contrast, no significant effect of habitat or protection was detected for sea turtles.{I}n conclusion, this study revealed positive effects of protection (alone or combined with habitat) for four of the five studied megafauna taxa,

confirming the effectiveness of the current {MPA}. {F}uture studies should be conducted over broader spatial and temporal scales to examine whether detected effects hold beyond the surveyed period and area.},
  keywords = {{NOUVELLE} {CALEDONIE} ; {PACIFIQUE} ; {POE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}quatic {C}onservation : {M}arine and {F}reshwater {E}cosystems},
  volume = {33},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {286--297},
  ISSN = {1052-7613},
  year = {2023},
  DOI = {10.1002/aqc.3923},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010091560},
}