Broudic L. auteur aut IRD Pinault M. auteur aut IRD Claud R. auteur aut IRD Nicet J. B. auteur aut IRD Wickel J. auteur aut IRD Bajjouk T. auteur aut IRD Rungassamy T. auteur aut IRD Bigot L. auteur aut IRD Nikolic N. auteur aut IRD Crochelet E. auteur aut IRD Thibault Martin auteur aut IRD Maze C. auteur aut IRD Bergerot B. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access The development of a spatial index that can be used to represent the benthic ecological state of coral reefs is essential for guiding public conservation policies. We propose the spatialization of a new index of "benthic ecological state" using the Coral Reef Rapid Assessment Method (CORRAM). Eight benthic biodiversity indicators selected from the literature that reflect key resistance and resilience mechanisms were assessed in 786 circular plots on the Saint-Pierre reef flat of Reunion Island. The "benthic ecological state" index was constructed from the eight benthic biodiversity indicators and spatialized using ordinary kriging. To better assess functional mechanisms with respect to environmental pressures, the "benthic ecological state" index can be sub-divided into two indexes. By establishing the associations between these indexes and abiotic environmental variables, the "coral community structure" and "benthic community vitality" showed a differential response sensibility including interaction with abiotic environmental variables studied. Our large dataset enabled us to propose a "benthic ecological state" of reference based on habitat type for the Saint-Pierre reef flat in 2021. These indexes highlight areas of high socio-ecological issues and contribute to quantifying the deviation between the "reference ecological state" and the "benthic ecological state" at a given spatio-temporal point. This proof of concept provides a methodological framework that can be replicated at multiple scales (from local to global) in other reefs. Using a field-based method with spatial indexing and pressure data, it is now possible to accurately locate and quantify areas of coral reef are vulnerability and of major concern. specialized Coral reef health Circular plot RAM Coral reef index Western Indian ocean island states REUNION OCEAN INDIEN 036 021 082 27 100811 [19 ] 2025 2665-9727 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010095293 10.1016/j.indic.2025.100811 2665-9727 [F B010095293] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010095293 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/2025-11/010095293.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2025-11-18 2025-11-20 fdi:010095293 fre