@article{fdi:010096936,
  title = {{O}ptimised thermal-stress indices explain giant clam bleaching observations in a semi-closed atoll lagoon},
  author = {{V}an {W}ynsberge, {S}. and {L}adet, {E}. and {C}hevillard, {C}. and {L}e {G}endre, {R}. and {M}aamaatuaiahutapu, {M}. and {M}oeroa, {M}. and {R}emoissenet, {G}. and {R}ichmond, {T}. and {P}oltavtseef, {L}. and {T}epapatahi, {T}. and {T}eaka, {R}. and {T}eara, {M}. and {T}efau, {A}. and {P}etton, {S}. and {J}ullien, {S}. and {L}afille, {M}. {A}. and {A}ndr{\'e}fou{\¨e}t, {S}erge},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{G}iant clams ({T}ridacna maxima) are abundant in {F}rench {P}olynesia semi-closed atolls, but the sustainability of the ecosystem services they provide has been challenged by recent mass bleaching events. {B}eing able to accurately anticipate the risks of bleaching is needed to implement timely and effective mitigation strategies, but no method currently exists to assess bleaching risk from environmental data in these lagoons. {T}o fill this gap, we used a hindcast approach to simulate the lagoon temperature experienced by giant clams at {R}eao {A}toll ({T}uamotu {A}rchipelago) from 1993 to 2024. {W}e then compared the reconstructed temperature time series with {T}. maxima bleaching states and size structures and densities during three {E}l {N}i & ntilde;o-induced heatwaves between 2016 and 2024. {T}he 2016 event was the most stressful for giant clams, with 79.9% of individuals totally bleached. {T}he 2017 and 2024 heatwaves induced lower bleaching than in 2016 despite an exposure to higher accumulated temperature stress levels, suggesting that giant clams' bleaching thermal threshold had increased after 2016. {T}hese observations were used to validate a new bleaching risk index ({DHWT}.maxima), inspired by {NOAA}'s {C}oral {R}eef {W}atch coral bleaching indices, but optimised to account for the history of giant clam bleaching levels after several exposures to thermal stress. {T}he newly designed index can be used to trigger local initiatives to mitigate the effect of bleaching on giant clam farming at {R}eao, and the method used in this study provides a framework to revisit the amount of thermal stress endured by symbiotic species in enclosed lagoon water bodies.},
  keywords = {{M}arine heat waves ; {T}hermal threshold ; {T}ridacna maxima ; {D}egree heating week ; {T}uamotu ; {F}rench {P}olynesia ; {POLYNESIE} {FRANCAISE} ; {TUAMOTU}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{C}oral {R}eefs},
  volume = {[{E}arly access]},
  numero = {},
  pages = {[17 p.]},
  ISSN = {0722-4028},
  year = {2026},
  DOI = {10.1007/s00338-026-02860-9},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010096936},
}