Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
Regeneration of artificially induced lesions was monitored in nubbins of the branching coral Acropora muricata at two reef-flat sites representing contrasting environments at Réunion Island (21u079S, 55u329E). Growth of these injured nubbins was examined in parallel, and compared to controls. Biochemical compositions of the holobiont and the zooxanthellae density were determined at the onset of the experiment, and the photosynthetic efficiency (F v /F m) of zooxanthellae was monitored during the experiment. Acropora muricata rapidly regenerated small lesions, but regeneration rates significantly differed between sites. At the sheltered site characterized by high temperatures, temperature variations, and irradiance levels, regeneration took 192 days on average. At the exposed site, characterized by steadier temperatures and lower irradiation, nubbins demonstrated fast lesion repair (81 days), slower growth, lower zooxanthellae density, chlorophyll a concentration and lipid content than at the former site. A trade-off between growth and regeneration rates was evident here. High growth rates seem to impair regeneration capacity. We show that environmental conditions conducive to high zooxanthellae densities in corals are related to fast skeletal growth but also to reduced lesion regeneration rates. We hypothesize that a lowered regenerative capacity may be related to limited availability of energetic and cellular resources, consequences of coral holobionts operating at high levels of photosynthesis and associated growth.
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-01369712
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01369712
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01369712/document
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01369712/file/journal.pone.0072618.PDF
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0072618

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Blackwell Publishing
Résumé : International audience
Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits from Grande-Terre (Guadeloupe archipelago, French Lesser Antilles) provide a remarkable example of an isolated carbonate system built in an active margin setting, with sedimentation both controlled by rapid sea-level changes and tectonic movements. Based on new field, sedimentological and palaeontological analyses, these deposits have been organized into four sedimentary sequences (S1 to S4) separated by three subaerial erosion surfaces (SB0, SB1 and SB2). Sequences S1 and S2 ('Calcaires inférieurs à rhodolithes') deposited during the late Zanclean to early Gelasian (planktonic foraminiferal Zones PL2 to PL5) in low subsidence conditions, on a distally steepened ramp dipping eastward. Red algal-rich deposits, which dominate the western part of Grande-Terre, change to planktonic foraminifer-rich deposits eastward. Vertical movements of tens of metres were responsible for the formation of SB0 and SB1. Sequence S3 ('Formation volcano-sédimentaire', 'Calcaires supérieurs à rhodolithes' and 'Calcaires à Agaricia') was deposited during the late Piacenzian to early Calabrian (Zones PL5 to PT1a) on a distally steepened, red algal-dominated ramp that changes upward into a homoclinal, coral-dominated ramp. Deposition of Sequence S3 occurred during a eustatic cycle in quiet tectonic conditions. Its uppermost boundary, the major erosion surface SB2, is related to the Cala1 eustatic sea-level fall. Finally, Sequence S4 ('Calcaires à Acropora') probably formed during the Calabrian, developing as a coral-dominated platform during a eustatic cycle in quiet tectonic conditions. The final emergence of the island could then have occurred in late Calabrian times.
ISSN: 1469-3496

hal-00760906
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00760906
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2011.01311.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Ecological signs of Earth's biosphere forewarn an alarming trajectory towards a global mass-extinction. Assessing species performance and susceptibilities to decline is essential to comprehend and reverse this trend. Yet it is challenging, given difficulties associated with quantifying individual and population processes that are variable across time, space, and life-stages. We describe a new approach to estimating and comparing species performances that combines empirical data, a novel theoretical consideration of population dynamics, and modern statistics. Our approach allows for a more realistic continuous representation of individual performances along development stages while taking into account non-linearity, and natural variability as captured by spatio-temporally replicated observations. We illustrate its application in a coral meta-assemblage composed of populations of the three major reef-building taxa Acropora, Pocillopora, Porites. Using a unique set of highly replicated observations of individual coral dynamics under various environmental conditions, we show how taxa differ in their investment in recruitment and size-specific aptitude for growth and survival, notably through different use of clonal shrinkage, fragmentation, fission, and fusion processes. Our results reveal contrasting life-history trade-offs among taxa which, along with differing patterns of density-dependent recruitment, modulate species responses to decline. These differences in coral life history traits reflect opposing life-strategies, imply regulation at differing life-stages, and explain divergence in species trajectories. Our findings indicate a high potential for resilience in Pocillopora and Porites populations, thanks respectively to a sustained recruitment that promotes demographic elasticity through replacement of individuals, and a steady resistance to mortality which confers persistence through lingering of individuals. Resilience in Acropora appears more arbitrary, given high susceptibility to perturbations and dependency of recruitment on presence of established local populations. We identify management actions that can complement Acropora's life history and benefit recovery of its populations following mortality events. Our regression-modelling approach to quantifying and comparing species performances in different population processes is applicable to all taxa, as illustrated even those with complex clonal life histories, and can be implemented at wide spatio-temporal and taxonomic coverage. It can promote more accurate representation of species dynamics in both descriptive and predictive modelling approaches. The semi-parametric contrast curve method we develop facilitates comparing response variables along continuous explicative metrics while accounting for multiple sources of complexity in empirical data. It should widely benefit investigations in ecology and quantitative science.
ISSN: 1476-945X

hal-01212337
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01212337
DOI : 10.1016/j.ecocom.2015.07.003

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier Masson
Résumé : International audience
Une surface d'émersion majeure (S1) au sein de l'unité récifale Pliocène supérieur à Pléistocène inférieur des « calcaires supérieurs » de Grande-Terre (avant-arc des Petites Antilles) révèle une baisse du niveau marin relatif d'au moins 60 m et permet de définir un nouveau découpage stratigraphique. S1 est surmontée par un cortège transgressif sablo-calcaire, puis par une formation récifale à Acropora. L'ensemble représente l'enregistrement d'un cycle eustatique complet par cette plateforme carbonatée de marge active. La comparaison avec la plate-forme carbonatée de marge stable du banc des Bahamas permet d'estimer que S1 correspond à l'émersion majeure de 1,66 Ma et qu'elle est d'origine glacio-eustatique.
ISSN: 1631-0713

hal-00180663
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00180663
DOI : 10.1016/j.crte.2005.01.012

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Royal Society, The
Résumé : International audience
Coral spawning times have been linked to multiple environmental factors; however, to what extent these factors act as generalized cues across multiple species and large spatial scales is unknown. We used a unique dataset of coral spawning from 34 reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans to test if month of spawning and peak spawning month in assemblages of Acropora spp. can be predicted by sea surface temperature (SST), photosynthetically available radiation, wind speed, current speed, rainfall or sunset time. Contrary to the classic view that high mean SST initiates coral spawning, we found rapid increases in SST to be the best predictor in both cases (month of spawning: R2 = 0.73, peak: R2 = 0.62). Our findings suggest that a rapid increase in SST provides the dominant proximate cue for coral mass spawning over large geographical scales. We hypothesize that coral spawning is ultimately timed to ensure optimal fertilization success.
ISSN: 0962-8452

hal-01325704
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01325704
DOI : 10.1098/rspb.2016.0011

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Royal Society
Résumé : Coral bleaching events are predicted to occur more frequently in the coming decades with global warming. The susceptibility of corals to bleaching during thermal stress episodes depends on many factors, including the magnitude of thermal stress and irradiance. The interactions among these two factors, and in particular with ultra-violet radiation (UVR), the most harmful component of light, are more complex than assumed, and are not yet well understood. This paper explores the individual and combined effects of temperature and UVR on the metabolism of Acropora muricata, one of the most abundant coral species worldwide. Particulate and dissolved organic matter (POM/DOM) fluxes and organic matter (OM) degradation by the mucus-associated bacteria were also monitored in all conditions. The results show that UVR exposure exacerbated the temperature-induced bleaching, but did not affect OM fluxes, which were only altered by seawater warming. Temperature increase induced a shift from POM release and DOM uptake in healthy corals to POM uptake and DOM release in stressed ones. POM uptake was linked to a significant grazing of pico- and nanoplankton particles during the incubation, to fulfil the energetic requirements of A. muricata in the absence of autotrophy. Finally, OM degradation by mucus-associated bacterial activity was unaffected by UVR exposure, but significantly increased under high temperature. Altogether, our results demonstrate that seawater warming and UVR not only affect coral physiology, but also the way corals interact with the surrounding seawater, with potential consequences for coral reef biogeochemical cycles and food webs.
ISSN: 2046-6390

hal-01606454
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01606454
DOI : 10.1242/bio.026757
PRODINRA : 406580
PUBMED : 28811302

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Laboratoire Arago
Résumé : International audience
Some coral reefs are threatened around the world due to the effects of coastaldevelopment, over-fishing and multiple factors associated with global climate change. In 2013,a monitoring programme was implemented in Western Samoa to document changes in reef communitiesand the impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Underwater visual surveysreported the first data on coral cover on the north coast of Western Samoa. Between 2013 and2015, all living coral genera (Acropora, Leptoria, Montipora, Platygyra, Pocillopora) droppedfrom 42 % to 0 %. The interaction of crown-of-thorns startfish outbreak in 2010-2014 andunusually high temperature in 2015 could have acted as a deathly combination for the coralreefs in Western Samoa.
ISSN: 0240-8759

hal-01416776
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01416776

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer
Résumé : International audience
Total genomic DNA of eight colonies for each of the two species, Acropora muricata and Porites lutea, sampled on the west coast of Reunion Island, was isolated using DNeasy Blood & Tissue kit (Qiagen™) following the manufacturer’s instructions and sent to GenoScreen, Lille, France (www.genoscreen.fr).
ISSN: 1877-7252

hal-01254248
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01254248
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01254248/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01254248/file/G%C3%A9lin%20et%20al.%20-%202015%20-%20Isolation%20and%20characterization%20of%2022%20microsatellit_hal.pdf
DOI : 10.1007/s12686-015-0493-8

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Résumé : International audience
This study provides a baseline describing natural small scale variability of Symbiodinium density in the sentinel coral Acropora globiceps during the summer, under non-bleaching conditions. Spatial scales investigated range from the colony scale (1-10 cm, i.e. among branches of the same colony) to the reef scale (1-10 km, i.e. among stations distributed over several locations and depths), at Moorea Island, French Polynesia. The coral-Symbiodinium symbiosis is a key process in scleractinian coral physiology, and Symbiodinium density provides an easy-to-measure and inexpensive biomarker of this symbiosis health. Spatial variability of three major environmental factors: light intensity, sedimentation and water motion was also assessed to evaluate their potential link with Symbiodinium density. Density of Symbiodinium did not significantly differ within colonies or among colonies within a station. However, a marked depth gradient was observed, showing increasing density with increasing depth and decreasing light intensity. These observations provide an interesting reference for forthcoming comparisons with disturbed conditions, such as bleaching events.
ISSN: 0025-3154

hal-00905942
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00905942
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00905942/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00905942/file/Ladriereetal2014.pdf
DOI : 10.1017/S0025315413001252

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley Open Access
Résumé : International audience
Coral disease outbreaks have increased over the last three decades, but their causal agents remain mostly unclear (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists). This study details a 14-month-long survey of coral colonies in which observations of the development of disease was observed in nearly half of the sampled colonies. A bimonthly qPCR method was used to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate Symbiodinium assemblages of tagged colonies, and to detect the presence of Vibrio spp. Firstly, our data showed that predisposition to disease development in general, and, more specifically, infection by Vibrio spp. in Acropora cytherea depended on which clades of Symbiodinium were harbored. In both cases, harboring clade D rather than A was beneficial to the coral host. Secondly, the detection of Vibrio spp. in only colonies that developed disease strongly suggests opportunistic traits of the bacteria. Finally, even if sporadic cases of switching and probably shuffling were observed, this long-term survey does not suggest specific-clade recruitment in response to stressors. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the fitness of the coral holobiont depends on its initial consortium of Symbiodinium, which is distinct among colonies, rather than a temporary adaptation achieved through acquiring different Symbiodinium clades.
ISSN: 2045-7758

hal-01346931
https://hal-uvsq.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01346931
https://hal-uvsq.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01346931/document
https://hal-uvsq.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01346931/file/2016%20Rouze%20EcolEvol.pdf
DOI : 10.1002/ece3.1895

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley Open Access
Résumé : International audience
Coral disease outbreaks have increased over the last three decades, but their causal agents remain mostly unclear (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists). This study details a 14-month-long survey of coral colonies in which observations of the development of disease was observed in nearly half of the sampled colonies. A bimonthly qPCR method was used to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate Symbiodinium assemblages of tagged colonies, and to detect the presence of Vibrio spp. Firstly, our data showed that predisposition to disease development in general, and, more specifically, infection by Vibrio spp. in Acropora cytherea depended on which clades of Symbiodinium were harbored. In both cases, harboring clade D rather than A was beneficial to the coral host. Secondly, the detection of Vibrio spp. in only colonies that developed disease strongly suggests opportunistic traits of the bacteria. Finally, even if sporadic cases of switching and probably shuffling were observed, this long-term survey does not suggest specific-clade recruitment in response to stressors. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the fitness of the coral holobiont depends on its initial consortium of Symbiodinium, which is distinct among colonies, rather than a temporary adaptation achieved through acquiring different Symbiodinium clades.
ISSN: 2045-7758

hal-01270779
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01270779
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01270779/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01270779/file/41080.pdf
DOI : 10.1002/ece3.1895

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
This work presents a synthesis of the present-day knowledge on both emerged and submerged carbonate platforms of the Guadeloupe archipelago. Onshore and offshore data acquired during the KaShallow project are presented. Since the early Zanclean, some isolated platforms developed onto a Jurassic to Tortonian basement which displayed reliefs inherited from a major extensional tectonic episode dated from −8 to −5 Ma. Marie-Galante, Grande Terre and the southern shelf of Grande-Terre show strong similarities with Zanclean to Gelasian red-algal facies upward changing into early Calabrian coral facies. A major erosional unconformity (SB2) was recognized and allows to distinguish two early Calabrian formations (Calcaires à Agaricia Formation and Calcaires à Acropora Formation). The final emersion of these platforms is late Calabrian. The La Désirade platform displays Zanclean to early Piacenzian red-algal facies upward changing into coral facies. This platform emerged as soon as in the late Piacenzian. The island subsided again in relation with later extensional tectonic episode and early Calabrian reef platform then unconformably deposited. The Colombie bank deposits comprise Pliocene basinal deposits overlain by late Calabrian coral reefs. The Flandre bank might have emerged synchronously with La Désirade but was drowned only in the late Pleistocene-Holocene interval. Four extensional tectonic episodes have been identified in the late Miocene-Recent interval. Their effects depend on the location of the platforms within the fore-arc.
Bulletin Société Géologique de France

insu-00816463
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00816463
DOI : 10.2113/gssgfbull.184.1-2.99