Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
While the fire coral Millepora platyphylla is an important component of Indo-Pacific reefs,where it thrives in a wide range of environments, the ecological and biological processesdriving its distribution and population structure are not well understood. Here, we quantifiedthis species' population structure in five habitats with contrasting hydrodynamic regimes inMoorea, French Polynesia; two in the fore reef: mid and upper slopes, and three in thelagoon: back, fringing and patch reefs. A total of 3651 colonies of fire corals were mappedand measured over 45,000 m2 of surveyed reef. Due to the species' sensitivity to fragmentationin response to strong water movement, hydrodynamic conditions (e.g. waves, pass andlagoonal circulation) corresponded to marked differences in colony size distributions, morphologyand recruitment dynamics among habitats. The size structure varied among reefhabitats with higher proportions of larger colonies in calm nearshore reefs (fringing andpatch reefs), while populations were dominated by smaller colonies in the exposed forereefs. The highest densities of fire corals were recorded in fore reef habitats (0.12±0.20 n.m-2) where the proportion of recruits and juveniles was higher at mid slope populations(49.3%) than on the upper slope near where waves break (29.0%). In the latter habitat, mostcolonies grew as vertical sheets on encrusting bases making them more vulnerable to colonyfragmentation, whereas fire corals were encrusting or massive in all other habitats. Thelowest densities of M. platyphylla occurred in lagoonal habitats (0.02±0.04 n.m-2) characterizedby a combination of low water movement and other physical and biological stressors.This study reports the first evidence of population structure of fire corals
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-01561659
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01561659
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01561659/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01561659/file/millepora%20platyphylla.pdf
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0173513

Éditeur(s) : Société Nationale de Protection de la Nature
Résumé : Monitoring of French Polynesia coral reefs and their recent development.-French Polynesia, consisting of 118 islands in the centre of the Pacific Ocean, has more than 15 000 km(2) of reefs and lagoons managed by the local government. Tourism and pearl culture are the two main economic resources of the country. Polynesian coral reefs are extremely diverse and are among those for which we have thorough knowledge. The exploitation of local resources has been recorded for multiple decades and includes : coral materials, fishing, harvest and export of mother-of-pearl molluscs, pearl production, and ornamental fish. All over the country, many monitoring programmes have been launched to measure the health of reefs and the natural and anthropogenic perturbations that they suffer : hurricanes and seismic events, water quality, health of benthic and fish communities, pearl oyster pathology and radiobiology. These data, collected over the last few decades, allowed to define the relative importance of natural and anthropogenic degradation on reefs and lagoons, and to explain the present status of reefs at different spatial scales. Devastating hurricanes are rare (1903-1906, 1982-1983 and occasionally at other times), but they may annihilate outer slope coral communities on some islands. Bleaching events with considerable coral mortality at different geographical scales occurred mainly in 1991, 1994 and 2003. Outbreaks of Acanthaster destroyed numerous reefs (lagoons and outer slopes) from 1978-1982 and a new demographic wave began in 2006 at many Society islands. Eutrophication events only occurred occasionally and only in some lagoons. Whereas natural catastrophic events degrade the coral reef ecosystem across many islands, at the archipelago or even regional scale, anthropogenic degradation is limited to a few Society Islands, occurring rarely on atolls and not at all on those (one third) which are uninhabited. The main causes of reef degradation in some areas of Tahiti and Moorea include the embankment of fringing zones, coral mining, overfishing, absence of urban sewage treatment and the development of leisure and tourism activities. Because of its large geographical extent, one may conclude that major reef degradation in French Polynesia is caused by catastrophic natural events. On the other hand, anthropogenic degradation is more localized. Unfortunately, the synergistic effects of these causes of degradation prevent reefs from recovering. Optimum coral cover on French Polynesian outer reef slopes is between 50-60%. After a major destructive impact (hurricane, bleaching, Acanthaster) a reef is reduced to less than 10% coral cover, however if no more major disturbance events occur a reef will recover in about 12 years. Most of the 15 000 km(2) of reefs and lagoons in French Polynesia are in good health, and along with their neighbouring reefs in East and Central Pacific they are considered as the least degraded reefs worldwide and at a low risk of becoming degraded in the few next decades. However, we are more and more anxious about the future of reefs in the world particularly because present simulations predict that major impacts of climate change would include : elevation of sea surface temperatures, increase in the strength of hurricanes and acidification of seawater which will affect the formation of coral structures.
La Polynésie française, 118 îles au coeur du Pacifique, possède une surface de plus de 15 000 km2 de récifs et lagons gérés par le gouvernement polynésien. Le tourisme et la perliculture représentent les deux ressources économiques majeures du Pays. Les formations récifales très diversifiées sont parmi les mieux connues. Plusieurs suivis d'exploitation des ressources sont opérationnels depuis des décennies : granulats coralliens, pêche pour l'alimentation, collecte et exportation de mollusques nacriers, production de perles, poissons d'ornement. À l'échelle du Pays de très nombreux programmes de surveillance de l'état des récifs et des perturbations qu'ils subissent, naturelles et anthropiques, ont été mis en place : perturbations cycloniques et sismiques, qualité des eaux, état de santé des peuplements benthiques et ichtyologiques, pathologie des nacres, radiobiologie. Toutes ces données recueillies au fi l des décennies ont permis d'établir l'importance relative des dégradations naturelles et anthropiques sur les récifs et lagons polynésiens et d'expliquer leur état de santé actuel en considérant différentes échelles spatiales. Les périodes cycloniques dévastatrices pour les récifs sont rares (1903-1906, 1982-1983 et épisodiquement) mais les cyclones ont parfois anéanti les communautés coralliennes de pentes externes dans certaines îles. Les blanchissements suivis de mortalités importantes à des échelles spatiales diverses, ont été surtout ceux de 1991, 1994 et 2003. Les explosions démographiques d'Acanthaster ont détruit de nombreux récifs (lagons et pentes externes) en 1978-1982 et une nouvelle pullulation s'amplifie depuis 2006 dans plusieurs îles de la Société. Les crises dystrophiques n'ont perturbé qu'épisodiquement certains lagons. [...]
Revue d'Ecologie de la Terre et de la Vie (0249-7395) (Société Nationale de Protection de la Nature), 2008 , Vol. 63 , N. 1-2 , P. 145-177

Droits : 2008 Société Nationale de Protection de la Nature
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-4558.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/4558/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The barrier reef tract of New Caledonia is the second largest in the world enclosing lagoons of variable width. The Late Quaternary evolution of these barrier reefs and lagoons is poorly known. A recent high resolution seismic and multibeam bathymetry survey was carried out in the south-western lagoon from shoreline to open ocean across the barrier reef pass systems to perform sequence stratigraphy and to better understand the Quaternary evolution of the lagoon. Two depositional sequences bounded by type-1 erosional surfaces can be identified. The bounding surfaces delineate the bottom of two generations of incised valleys. System tracts comprising a complete succession of regressive, lowstand, transgressive and highstand tracts were observed only in the upper sequence. Chronostratigraphic and sedimentological interpretations of the seismic data are based on correlations with the chronology defined in the nearby cores drilled through the reefs and in the gravity cores previously recovered in the inner lagoon. Interpretation of seismic data is also carried out on the basis of correlation with multibeam bathymetric data. Our results indicate that the history of the New Caledonian lagoon probably does not exceed 200ka marked by two or three brief episodes each of immersion of about ten thousand years. The bathymetric data reveal that during successive low sea level stands, the lagoon was dependent upon erosional fluvial networks. The deep fluvial valleys were connected to the continental slope through the passes. Seismic records reveal that upstream palaeo-channels are not connected to the modern coastal rivers. In contrast, many aggrading deposits, including numerous stacking channels, and extending across the proximal part of the outer lagoon, can be identified. Examination of drainage network morphology suggests a progressive tilt of the outer lagoon. Such evolution reveals that the Nouméa lagoon which is one of the widest in the world is an exceptional modern example of a rimmed shelf providing data to analyze the past counterparts.
ISSN: 0031-0182

insu-00338953
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00338953
DOI : 10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.08.012

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Laboratoire Arago
Résumé : International audience
The analysis of the C-O stable isotope composition of coral reef fish otoliths from Taiaro, a French Polynesian atoll normally isolated from the Pacific Ocean, has been performed to address two main questions. The first is to confirm previous results which suggest that a lagoonal coral reef fish population is able to achieve its ontogenetic cycle without any open ocean phase. If so, are O isotopic values of otoliths an indicator of temperature fluctuations in the tropical Pacific Ocean related to climate change and in particular temperature variations of water masses? δ18O and δ13C values on both lagoon and open ocean fish otoliths caught in 2006 indicated clearly that O-isotopes reached the isotopic equilibrium; in contrast, all δ13C values exhibited a strong isotopic disequilibrium related to metabolic activity. Stable isotope compositions revealed a clear differentiation between fish from lagoons and those from the open ocean (with a δ18O enrichment of 1 ‰ in favour of the lagoon). This confirmed a lack of connectivity between habitats and that fish from lagoon lived their entire life cycle in the lagoon. Both δ18O and δ13C data indicated differences between nucleus and edge signatures with changes in fish behavior from the larval life to adulthood (habitat, diet, etc.), and a clear adaptation of dietary behavior of lagoon fish. The comparison of the 2006 data set with those of 1994 showed that environmental conditions were stable in the lagoon, leading to a very narrow range of variations in the δ18O values. δ18O of fish otoliths of the open ocean exhibited a wider variation (+0.25 ‰) between 1994 and 2006, suggesting a decrease in temperature linked to a change of SST, which can be interpreted in terms of climate change associated with El Nino Southern Oscilation (ENENSO). These differences could also be due to a switch of habitats during the life cycle of fish from the open ocean.
ISSN: 0240-8759

hal-01162477
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01162477

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Coral reef resource systems are complex adaptive social-ecological systems providing vital and valuableecosystem services for human societies such as food provision, coastal protection and recreational activities.Their sustainability is questioned in many places around the world as they experience combined effects ofmultiple chronic anthropogenic and natural drivers at local to global scales. From a management perspective,there is a crucial need to understand how the impact of these drivers cascade through the social-ecologicalsystem components. This study develops a transdisciplinary and participatory approach to investigating thesocial-ecological dynamics of a Polynesian coral reef coastal system. A preliminary conceptual model using theDriver-Pressure-State-Impact (DPSI) framework is first being built through participatory modeling workshops.Then, pressure-state relationships are assessed with the help of empirical datasets as a first step towards thevalidation of the DPSI model. Results shows striking social-ecological interactions with different patterns in thelagoon and in the fore reef. Local management should be: (1) less resource-focused to account more specificallyto the existing typology of actors; (2) more spatially-explicit to better distinguish management objectives andactions for the lagoon and the fore reef sub-systems; and (3) more coordinated with terrestrial agencies for acoherent land-sea connection and integration that would both (i) account for existing land-sea interactions and(ii) better reflect the Polynesian cultural heritage that considers nature from ridge to reef as a whole. Suchconceptual models of social-ecological systems are a useful tool to build exploratory scenarios to ultimatelysupport planning decision-making processes.
ISSN: 0308-597X

hal-01491968
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01491968
DOI : 10.1016/j.marpol.2017.01.014

Éditeur(s) : Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd
Résumé : The south-west lagoon of New Caledonia is a wide semi-open coral reef lagoon bounded by an intertidal barrier reef and bisected by numerous deep inlets. This paper synthesizes findings from the 2000-2008 French National Program EC2CO-PNEC relative to the circulation and the transport of suspended particles in this lagoon. Numerical model development (hydrodynamic, fine suspended sediment transport, wind-wave, small-scale atmospheric circulation) allowed the determination of circulation patterns in the lagoon and the charting of residence time, the later of which has been recently used in a series of ecological studies. Topical studies based on field measurements permitted the parameterisation of wave set-up induced by the swell breaking on the reef barrier and the validation of a wind-wave model in a fetch-limited environment. The analysis of spatial and temporal variability of suspended matter concentration over short and long time-scales, the measurement of grain size distribution and the density of suspended matter (1.27 kg 1(-1)), and the estimation of erodibility of heterogeneous (sand/mud, terrigenous/biogenic) soft bottoms was also conducted. Aggregates were shown to be more abundant near or around reefs and a possible biological influence on this aggregation is discussed. Optical measurements enabled the quantification of suspended matter either in situ (monochromatic measurements) or remotely (surface spectral measurements and satellite observations) and provided indirect calibration and validation of a suspended sediment transport model. The processes that warrant further investigation in order to improve our knowledge of circulation and suspended sediment transport in the New Caledonia lagoon as well as in other coral reef areas are discussed, as are the relevance and reliability of the numerical models for this endeavour.
Marine Pollution Bulletin (0025-326X) (Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd), 2010 , Vol. 61 , N. 7-12 , P. 269-296

Droits : 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00014/12526/9401.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.06.023
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00014/12526/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD PeerJ
Résumé : International audience
Coral reefs are in decline across the globe as a result of overexploitation, pollution, disease and, more recently, climate change. The impacts of changes in coral cover on associated fish communities can be difficult to predict because of the uneven dependence of reef fish species on corals for food, shelter or the three-dimensional structure they provide. We compared live coral cover, reef fish community metrics, and their associations in two surveys of the lagoon of the remote atoll of Mataiva (French Polynesia) carried out 31 years apart. In contrast to the general pattern of decreasing coral cover reported for many parts of the Indo-Pacific region, live coral cover increased 6–7 fold at Mataiva between 1981 and 2012, and fish density nearly doubled. The stable overall reef fish species richness belied a significant shift in community structure. There was little overlap in community composition across years, and fish assemblages in 2012 were more homogeneous in composition than they were in 1981. Changes in species abundance were not clearly related to species-specific reliance on corals. The strong positive relationships between live coral cover and fish diversity and abundance noted in 1981, when coral cover rarely exceeded 10%, were no longer present in 2012, when coral cover rarely fell below this value. The most parsimonious explanation for these contrasting relationships is that, over the combined range of coral cover observed in the 1981 and 2012 snapshots, there is a rapidly asymptotic relationship between coral and fish. Our results, and other data from the south and west Pacific, suggest that fish diversity and abundance might accumulate rapidly up to a threshold of approximately 10% live coral cover. Such a relationship would have implications for our expectations of resistance and recovery of reef fish communities facing an increasingly severe regime of coral reef disturbances.
ISSN: 2167-8359

Droits : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
hal-01135589
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01135589
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01135589/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01135589/file/2015_02_26_more_coral_more_fish.pdf
DOI : 10.7717/peerj.745

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Satellite and in situ chlorophyll concentration data collected as part of VALidation HYperspectral of a BIOgeochemical model (ValHyBio), a PNTS-sponsored project dedicated to satellite ocean-colour imaging of the Southwest Pacific, are analyzed to describe chlorophyll variability in the Coral Sea, a vast oligotrophic region characterized by a deep chlorophyll maximum and blue waters of high transparency. Average chlorophyll concentrations estimated from MODIS-Aqua are very low (<0.2 mg m-3) except in the vicinity of main islands and coral reefs, where enrichment may occur due to upwelling or internal waves that bring nutrients to the euphotic zone from the deep part of the water column. During the summer season, blooms of cyanobacteria (Trichodesmium) develop in the surface waters and may form large slicks. The nitrogen fixed by these slicks is a potential source of new nitrogen later assimilated by picoplankton and the marine food chain. Coastal areas exhibit higher chlorophyll concentrations because of nutrient input from the land, as observed in 2008 around New Caledonia. In lagoon areas, the sea colour is influenced by turbidity and bathymetry, and the MODIS OC3 algorithm is inadequate, with a systematic overestimation of chlorophyll concentration in the New Caledonia lagoon. Improved bio-optical algorithms are needed for those turbid and shallow waters, to allow not only a better description of chlorophyll variability, but also evaluation of chlorophyll simulations by recently developed biogeochemical models.
of the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium, 18E
CAIRNS, Australia

hal-00746470
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00746470
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00746470/document

Éditeur(s) : Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie
Résumé : Estimating diversity and abundance of fish is fundamental for the understanding of community structure and dynamics of coral reefs. Observations are generally gathered using Underwater Visual Census (UVC). These informations can also be collected by underwater video techniques involving no diver and allowing a high spatial and temporal coverage. The first part of this PhD thesis is a review of publications using underwater video techniques between 1952 and 2012. The second part present two rotating video systems used to study the diversity of ichthyofauna and habitats in the lagoon of New Caledonia: the STAVIRO (for "STAtion VIdeo ROtative") and the MICADO (for "Module d’Imagerie Côtier, Autonome pour le Développement de l’Observation sous-marine"). The third part of this work is a comparison of these techniques with UVCs and an analysis of the “observer effect” for the rotating video techniques. The comparison between rotating video systems and UVC showed that: (i) fish community data collected by UVC and by STAVIRO differed significantly; (ii) species richness and density of large species were not significantly different between techniques; (iii) species richness and density of small species were higher for UVC; (iv) density of fished species was higher for STAVIRO; and (v) only UVC detected significant differences in fish assemblages structure across reef type. The comparison of fish counts obtained from the same videos by different observers showed that for a defined list of species, estimates of species richness and total abundance can be considered as similar between observers with sufficient experiences (> 6 months). The last part of this PhD is an application of rotating video techniques to the study of daily temporal variations of the ichthyofauna. Daily variations were observed depending on the time of day and the tidal state and typical patterns of variations have been described for some species groups. The outcomes of this work bring original insights of new techniques complementary to traditional techniques in order to enhance our understanding of the functioning and dynamic of coral reef.
L’estimation de la diversité et de l’abondance des espèces de poissons est fondamentale pour comprendre la structure des communautés et la dynamique des récifs coralliens. Les observations sont généralement obtenues par des recensements visuels en scaphandre autonome (UVC). Ces informations peuvent également être obtenues de manière originale grâce aux observations issues des techniques vidéo sous-marines modernes sans plongeur qui permettent des couvertures spatiales et temporelles accrues. La première phase de ce travail de thèse synthétise l’ensemble des travaux ayant été effectués avec des techniques vidéo entre 1952 et 2012. La seconde phase, présente deux systèmes vidéo rotatifs complémentaires, utilisés pour étudier la diversité de l’ichtyofaune et des habitats marins dans le lagon de Nouvelle-Calédonie : le STAVIRO (pour « STAtion VIdéo ROtative ») et le MICADO (pour « Module d’Imagerie Côtier, Autonome pour le Développement de l’Observation sous-marine »). La troisième phase de ce travail consiste à comparer ces systèmes vidéo aux UVC puis à examiner l’effet « observateur » inhérent aux techniques vidéo rotatives. Il résulte de cette étude que : (i) les observations des communautés de poissons par UVC et STAVIRO différaient significativement, (ii) la richesse spécifique et la densité des espèces de grande taille n'étaient pas significativement différentes entre les techniques, (iii) la diversité et la densité des espèces de petite taille étaient plus élevés avec les UVC; (iv) la densité des espèces pêchées était plus élevée avec les STAVIRO et (v) seuls les UVC ont détecté des différences de structure des assemblages en fonction du type de récif. L’étude de l’effet « observateur » a montré que sur une liste d’espèces définie, les dénombrements et les identifications des individus peuvent être considérées comme similaires entre observateurs ayant une expérience suffisante (> 6 mois). La dernière phase de ce travail a permis d’appliquer la technique MICADO à l’étude des variations temporelles de l’ichtyofaune d’un site corallien à l’échelle de la journée. Elle a permis de mettre en évidence des variations cycliques journalières en fonction de l’heure et de la marée et des « profils type » de variations ont pu être identifiés pour certains groupes d’espèces. Ce travail de thèse permet ainsi de participer au développement de nouvelles techniques d’observations complémentaires des techniques traditionnelles afin d’enrichir les connaissances du fonctionnement et de la dynamique des écosystèmes coralliens.

Droits : Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00189/30050/28536.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00189/30050/

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier Science Bv
Résumé : During the Echolag cruise (13 February-8 March 2007), the effect of 16-30 knot trade winds on abundance, community structure and dynamics of phytoplankton was investigated in the southern part of the New Caledonian coral reefs and surrounding oceanic waters. In this area, the coral reefs form two horn-like structures (hereinafter referred to as 'horn reefs'), oriented south-east, and separated by a relatively deep valley. Three repeated samplings at one week intervals of a 32 station array showed that trade winds induce surface water cooling and significant enrichment of mid- and bottom waters above the reef shelf. This enrichment appeared as the result of a general rise of the oceanic thermocline and nitracline due to the combination of trade winds and tidally-generated internal waves between the horn reefs. It was accompanied by a factor of 1.5 and 2.3 mean increase for the chlorophyll concentration and picoplankton-nanoplankton cell number, respectively. From diel variations of in vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence and hourly sampling, phytoplankton gross growth rate was estimated to be 1-1.35 divisions per day and was quasi balanced with phytoplankton mortality for a 24 h period.
Journal Of Marine Systems (0924-7963) (Elsevier Science Bv), 2010-09 , Vol. 82 , N. 4 , P. 230-244

Droits : 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00013/12437/9258.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2010.05.010
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00013/12437/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The marine Messinian deposits of Tunisia cover a narrow littoral strip some 300 km long between the northern Bizerte and Cap Bon areas and the central-eastern Sahel region. Litho- and biofacies analysis of six stratigraphic sections reveals the distinctive features of these deposits.;The lower Messinian deposits are characterized by ubiquitous siliciclastics and abundant oolitic/bioclastic limestones organized in an eastward facing ramp. Westward (landward), this ramp changes into coastal lagoons, sometimes containing evaporites. Eastward, the ramp passes to the reefal Pelagian Platform extending as far as Lampedusa.;Two main sedimentary cycles are distinguished: 1) an early Messinian siliciclastic retrogradational then oolitic/bioclastic progradational cycle (Beni Khiar Formation and lower Oued bel Khedim Formation): 2) a late Messinian brackish to continental cycle that probably accumulated in rapidly subsiding lagoons (Cued el Bir Formation and upper Oued bel Khedim Formation). The Tunisian early Messinian cycle is partly eustatically controlled, but the late Messinian cycle cannot be confidently correlated to other well-known Messinian series because of tectonic movements.;The lower Messinian deposits of Tunisia are also characterized by abundant suspension-feeding organisms (molluscs and bryozoans) and rare corals, calcareous algae, echinoids, and larger benthic foraminifers. The proposed palaeoenvironmental model shows that the lower Messinian ramp of Tunisia was located on a current-protected margin and subjected to continent-derived sediment and nutrient supply. Eastward, nutrient influx diminished and a shallow-water isolated carbonate platform with coralgal facies developed between the western and the eastern Mediterranean basins. The main hydrological connection between these two basins occurred through a narrow seaway situated to the northeast of the Pelagian Platform, south of Sicily and Malta.
ISSN: 0031-0182

hal-00475583
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00475583
DOI : 10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.10.028

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Société nationale de protection de la nature
Résumé : International audience
The island of Moorea in French Polynesia is representative of a relatively well preserved small tropical oceanic island but both its terrestrial and marine ecosystems are currently under strong anthropogenic pressures. The terrestrial ecosystems are facing an increasing urbanization, and the destruction and modification of their natural habitats by cultivation and forestry plantations, accidental or intentional fires, and particularly by the invasion of alien plant and animal species. Coastal areas and reef ecosystems are threatened by shoreline artificialization, sedimentation due to soil erosion, increasing uses of marine and lagoon resources and frequency of coral bleaching events. A significant erosion of terrestrial and marine biodiversity is observed on the island since the last decades. In the context of the Land Management Plan (PGA) and Marine Area Management Plan (PGEM) recently set up in the island by local authorities, scientific surveys and inventories were made in 2006 in order to assess the status of terrestrial biodiversity (vascular plants) and marine biodiversity (reef fishes) and compare areas with different anthropogenic pressures. Studies conducted on the flora and the vegetation at low and middle elevation along altitudinal transects show that the plant invasion process is related to climatic and topographic factors, and species autoecology. The marine study aims to compare the protected areas with control areas in order to test the effectiveness of protection measures and to propose a streamlined monitoring protocol. A methodological study in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems was conducted in order to propose biodiversity indicators which are crucial for decision making in conservation and sustainable development of island biodiversity. We used Geographic Information System (GIS) as a fast and intuitive tool for mapping indicators and their variability. This methodological approach developed on the island of Moorea could be used as a model for other tropical islands
Moorea est une petite île océanique tropicale de la Polynésie française relativement bien préservée, mais dont les écosystèmes terrestres et marins sont actuellement soumis à de fortes pressions anthropiques. Le milieu terrestre est confronté à une urbanisation croissante, à la destruction ou à la modification des habitats naturels pour l’extension des cultures ou des plantations forestières, aux incendies volontaires ou accidentels, et particulièrement à l’invasion d’espèces végétales et animales introduites. Les zones côtières et les récifs coralliens sont menacés par de multiples perturbations telles que l’artificialisation des lignes de rivage, l’apport de sédiments dus à l’érosion des sols, l’augmentation des usages des ressources marines et lagonaires et de la fréquence des phénomènes de blanchissement du corail. Une érosion sensible de la biodiversité terrestre et marine de l’île est observée depuis les dernières décennies. Dans le cadre du Plan Général d’Aménagement (PGA) et du Plan de Gestion de l’Espace Maritime (PGEM) mis en place par les autorités locales, des inventaires scientifiques ont été réalisés en 2006 dans le but d’évaluer l’état de la biodiversité terrestre (plantes vasculaires) et marine (poissons récifaux) et de comparer des zones soumises à différentes perturbations. Les études réalisées sur la flore et la végétation de basse et moyenne altitude le long de transects altitudinaux montrent des processus d’invasion végétale différents en relation avec les facteurs climatiques, topographiques et autoécologiques des espèces. Les études en milieu marin visent à comparer des aires protégées à des aires témoins afin de suivre l’efficacité des mesures de gestion. La réflexion méthodologique menée parallèlement sur les deux écosystèmes a pour but d’illustrer différents indices de biodiversité nécessaires à la prise de décision en matière de conservation ou de développement durable de la biodiversité insulaire et de réaliser un état de référence pour établir un diagnostic sur l’état de la biodiversité. La représentation cartographique des indices à l’aide d’un SIG, illustrée dans cette étude avec la richesse spécifique terrestre et marine, permet une lecture intuitive et rapide de la variabilité de cet indice dont la restitution est basée sur une standardisation du nombre d’espèces. Cette approche méthodologique développée sur l’île de Moorea pourrait servir de modèle pour d’autres îles tropicales
EISSN: 2429-6422

hal-01306285
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01306285

Éditeur(s) : Public Library Science
Résumé : Observing spatial and temporal variations of marine biodiversity from non-destructive techniques is central for understanding ecosystem resilience, and for monitoring and assessing conservation strategies, e.g. Marine Protected Areas. Observations are generally obtained through Underwater Visual Censuses (UVC) conducted by divers. The problems inherent to the presence of divers have been discussed in several papers. Video techniques are increasingly used for observing underwater macrofauna and habitat. Most video techniques that do not need the presence of a diver use baited remote systems. In this paper, we present an original video technique which relies on a remote unbaited rotating remote system including a high definition camera. The system is set on the sea floor to record images. These are then analysed at the office to quantify biotic and abiotic sea bottom cover, and to identify and count fish species and other species like marine turtles. The technique was extensively tested in a highly diversified coral reef ecosystem in the South Lagoon of New Caledonia, based on a protocol covering both protected and unprotected areas in major lagoon habitats. The technique enabled to detect and identify a large number of species, and in particular fished species, which were not disturbed by the system. Habitat could easily be investigated through the images. A large number of observations could be carried out per day at sea. This study showed the strong potential of this non obtrusive technique for observing both macrofauna and habitat. It offers a unique spatial coverage and can be implemented at sea at a reasonable cost by non-expert staff. As such, this technique is particularly interesting for investigating and monitoring coastal biodiversity in the light of current conservation challenges and increasing monitoring needs.
Plos One (1932-6203) (Public Library Science), 2012-02 , Vol. 7 , N. 2 , P. -

Droits : 2012 Pelletier et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00078/18879/16453.pdf
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0030536
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00078/18879/

Éditeur(s) : Université des Antilles Études caribéennes
Résumé : En Indonésie orientale, entre l’île de Sumbawa et celle de Florès, se trouve le parc national de Komodo, du nom de la principale île habitée par les fameux varans, un superbe espace naturel désormais préservé par l’UNESCO et entouré de récifs coralliens. Quelques familles de pêcheurs, la plupart musulmans, peuplent ce petit archipel aujourd’hui prisé par les touristes internationaux pour ses dragons et ses lagons. En réalité, les varans géants de Komodo ne sont pas les derniers témoins de la préhistoire, mais d’énormes lézards, impressionnants, très photogéniques et parfois dangereux.Un endroit idéal pour s’adonner à une forme singulière de tourisme d’aventure, même s’il est aujourd’hui plus de masse que de niche. Entre une plage balnéaire et une balade en mini croisière, quelques dizaines de milliers de touristes annuels viennent approcher ces drôles de dragons qui effraient autant qu’ils fascinent les visiteurs. Aussi, promeneurs, baigneurs et excursionnistes se croisent — le temps d’un frisson bien encadré, il est vrai dans un décor de rêve — dans ce parc national, tous animés par les mêmes volontés et curiosité de « voir pour de vrai » cette créature étrange qui stimule notre imaginaire rempli de dinosaures.
In eastern Indonesia, between the island of Sumbawa and Flores that, is the Komodo National Park, named after the main island where the famous lizards are found, a beautiful natural area now protected by UNESCO and surrounded by reefs coral. Some families of fishermen, most Muslims inhabit this small archipelago prized today by international tourists for its dragons and lagoons. In reality, the giant Komodo dragons are the last witnesses of prehistory but huge lizards, impressive, photogenic and sometimes dangerous.An ideal place to indulge in a singular form of adventure tourism, although it is now more mass than niche. Between a seaside beach and a leisurely mini cruise, tens of thousands of annual tourists come to approach these funny dragons that scare as they fascinate visitors. Also, walkers, swimmers and hikers cross - time for a well supported thrill, it is true in a dream setting - in this national park, all driven by the same desire and curiosity to "see for real" this creature strange that stimulates our imagination filled with dinosaurs.
Indonésie
Komodo
Bali

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
urn:doi:10.4000/etudescaribeennes.7577
http://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/7577

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier Science Bv
Résumé : Monitoring fish and underwater habitats, particularly in and around marine protected areas (MPAs) requires non-destructive observation methods. This is generally achieved by divers conducting underwater visual censuses (UVC), but video-based techniques are now being used more often to observe underwater macrofauna and habitats. A comparison of these two techniques is relevant with the development of high-definition (HD) video, which constitutes a substantial improvement over previously available video resolutions at limited extra cost. We conducted a paired observation experiment involving both HD video and UVC in an MPA located in the New Caledonian lagoon, which is a highly diversified coral reef ecosystem. We compared three techniques for counting fish along 50 m x 4 m delineated strip transects: UVC and two video techniques in which the diver used either a straight trajectory (I-type transect) or a browsing one (S-type transect). The results showed that the proportion of fish that were not identified up to the species level did not exceed 3.3% in video observations versus 1.7% in UVC. The abundance and species richness were larger in UVC than in videos, and S-type transects detected more individuals and species than I-type transects. The average abundance and species richness observed by UVC were 1094 individuals and 69.7 species per transect respectively. In comparison with UVC. I-type and S-type video transects detected on average 56% and 61% of the abundance and 85% and 77% of the species richness seen by UVC respectively. Our results showed that, in comparison to UVC data recorded in situ, the post field analysis of HD video images provided representative observations of fish abundance and species diversity, although fewer species and individuals were detected. The advantages and shortcomings of each observation technique for monitoring fish assemblages, particularly in an MPA are discussed. HD video appears to be a cost-effective technique in terms of the human resources and time needed for field implementation. Overall, this study suggests that HD video-based techniques constitute an interesting complement to UVC, or an alternative when these cannot be implemented. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Fisheries Research (0165-7836) (Elsevier Science Bv), 2011-01 , Vol. 107 , N. 1-3 , P. 84-93

Droits : 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00031/14192/11470.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.fishres.2010.10.011
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00031/14192/

Éditeur(s) : Oxford Univ Press Inc
Résumé : Since the transition from terrestrial to marine environments poses strong osmoregulatory and energetic challenges, temporal and spatial fluctuations in oceanic salinity might influence salt and water balance (and hence, body condition) in marine tetrapods. We assessed the effects of salinity on three species of sea snakes studied by mark-recapture in coral-reef habitats in the Neo-Caledonian Lagoon. These three species include one fully aquatic hydrophiine (Emydocephalus annulatus), one primarily aquatic laticaudine (Laticauda laticaudata), and one frequently terrestrial laticaudine (Laticauda saintgironsi). We explored how oceanic salinity affected the snakes' body condition across various temporal and spatial scales relevant to each species' ecology, using linear mixed models and multimodel inference. Mean annual salinity exerted a consistent and negative effect on the body condition of all three snake species. The most terrestrial taxon (L. saintgironsi) was sensitive to salinity over a short temporal scale, corresponding to the duration of a typical marine foraging trip for this species. In contrast, links between oceanic salinity and body condition in the fully aquatic E. annulatus and the highly aquatic L. laticaudata were strongest at a long-term (annual) scale. The sophisticated salt-excreting systems of sea snakes allow them to exploit marine environments, but do not completely overcome the osmoregulatory challenges posed by oceanic conditions. Future studies could usefully explore such effects in other secondarily marine taxa such as seabirds, turtles, and marine mammals.
Integrative And Comparative Biology (1540-7063) (Oxford Univ Press Inc), 2012-08 , Vol. 52 , N. 2 , P. 235-244

Droits : The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00089/20064/20739.pdf
DOI:10.1093/icb/ics081
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00089/20064/

Éditeur(s) : Neidine editeurs
Résumé : The publication draws up a balance sheet about the natural marine assets of New Caledonia by distinguishing the coast and the intertidal zones, the coral reefs and lagoons, the open sea or "deep blue". A set of assets relative to the living and mineral natural resources, to the characteristics of the shallow and deep marine biodiversity, to the potential marine energy resources are discussed. This publication, edited in a Consumer directed free magazine, draws up a set of perspectives relative to a blue economy to be built in a country still very centred on its ground resources, essentially the nickel mining industry.
Le dossier dresse un bilan des atouts naturels de la nouvelle-Calédonie en matière marine en distinguant le littoral et l'intertidal, les récifs et lagons, la mer ouverte ou "grand bleu". Sont discutés un ensemble d'atouts relatifs aux ressources naturelles vivantes et minérales, aux caractéristiques de la biodiversité marine peu profonde et semi profonde, aux ressources énergétiques potentielles.Cette publication, éditée dans une revue orientée Grand Public, dresse un ensemble de perspectives relatives à une économie bleue à construire dans un pays encore très axé sur ses ressources terrestres, essentiellement l'industrie minière de nickel.
Taï Kona (2269-7535) (Neidine editeurs), 2013-03 , N. 1 , P. 12-25

Droits : Tai Kona
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00142/25350/23432.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00142/25350/