Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : Introduction of non-indigenous species can alter marine communities and ecosystems. In shellfish farming, transfer of livestock, especially oysters, is a common practice and potentially constitutes a pathway for non-indigenous introductions. Many species of seaweeds are believed to have been accidentally introduced in association with these transfers, but there is little direct evidence. We experimentally simulated the transfer of oysters from the Thau Lagoon (France). These transfers involved increasing periods of aerial emersion and additional brine and hot water treatments. The brine and hot water treatments were evaluated as a means of reducing the probability of algal introductions with oyster transfers. Shells were cultured for 40 days in experimental tanks to identify the macroalgae likely to be introduced with any oyster transfer. A total of 57 macroalgal taxa, including 16 taxa not indigenous to the Thau Lagoon, were recorded across all treatments and experiments. The abundance of some species increased in several cases following aerial emersion. Elimination treatments (immersion in brine or hot water) significantly reduced algal diversity, with hot water treatments resulting in no species or only tubular Ulva spp. present. The results support the hypothesis that oyster transfers are effective as primary and secondary vectors of macroalgal introductions. Relatively simple changes to the transfer practice (particularly hot water treatments) are suggested as a means of reducing the risk of non-indigenous algal introductions.
Biological Conservation (0006-3207) (Elsevier), 2007-06 , Vol. 137 , N. 2 , P. 237-247

Droits : 2007 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2007/publication-2779.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2007.02.001
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/2779/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
Introduction The Latitudinal Gradient Hypothesis (LGH) foresees that specialized metabolites are overexpressed under low latitudes, where organisms are subjected to higher herbivory pressure. The widespread macroalga Asparagopsis taxiformis is composed of six distinct genetic lineages, some of them being introduced in many regions. Objectives To study (i) metabolic fingerprints of the macroalga and (ii) its bioactivity in space and time, both as proxies of its investment in defensive traits, in order to assess links between bioactivities and metabotypes with macroalgal invasiveness. Methods 289 macroalgal individuals, from four tropical and three temperate regions, were analyzed using untargeted metabolomics and the standardized Microtox (R) assay. Results Metabotypes showed a low divergence between tropical and temperate populations, while bioactivities were higher in temperate populations. However, these phenotypes varied significantly in time, with a higher variability in tropical regions. Bioactivities were high and stable in temperate regions, whereas they were low and much variable in tropical regions. Although the introduced lineage two exhibited the highest bioactivities, this lineage could also present variable proliferation fates. Conclusion The metabolomic approach partly discriminates macroalgal populations from various geographic origins. The production of chemical defenses assessed by the bioactivity assay does not match the macroalgal genetic lineage and seems more driven by the environment. The higher content of chemical defenses in temperate versus tropical populations is not in accordance with the LGH and cannot be related to the invasiveness of the macroalgae.
ISSN: 1573-3882

hal-01681538
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01681538
DOI : 10.1007/s11306-017-1169-z

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : Regardless of the degree of closure of a recirculation system, effluents are produced and replacement water is needed, which limits the possibility of locating a seawater production system away from the shoreline. At the Palavas Ifremer station, in the south of France, a High Rate Algal Pond (HRAP) was operated during several years to treat the effluent from a recirculating aquaculture system before reusing it. The effect of the HRAP-treated water on the recirculation system and on the fish was investigated and the optimal algae growing conditions were defined. The experiments were carried out in three rearing systems: one flow through, one recirculating and one recirculating with a HRAP. The water flow rate, temperature, pH and salinity conditions were similar in all systems. The effect of reusing the HRAP-treated water is very limited (1) on the functioning of the recirculation system and (2) on fish performance, but it allows a significant reduction of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in the rearing water. HRAP treatment reduced metal accumulation in muscle and liver of RAS fish, except for chromium and arsenic. All biomarkers presented no significant difference between systems, except for Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and EROD, which showed a higher concentration in RAS and in both recirculating system respectively. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Aquaculture (0044-8486) (Elsevier), 2006-03 , Vol. 252 , N. 1 , P. 92-101

Droits : 2005 Elsevier
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2006/publication-2306.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2005.11.053
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/2306/

Éditeur(s) : Gauthier-Villars
Résumé : The temporal Variations in macroalgal coverage and biomass of two sectors of a fringing reef complex in Reunion Island, subject to different levels of nutrient enrichment, were compared over eight months. Little difference was detected in the back reef zone, but in the narrow coral strip zone the highly enriched site showed significantly higher coverage, biomass and diversity of macroalgae throughout the whole study period. Differences in the levels of nutrient enrichment of the reef waters of the two sites are implicated as potential reasons for the observed differences. The seasonal Variations of macroalgae on the reef, and aspects of several of the dominant algal species encountered are also discussed.
Oceanologica Acta (0399-1784) (Gauthier-Villars), 1997 , Vol. 20 , N. 6 , P. 851-861

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00093/20468/18140.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00093/20468/

Éditeur(s) : John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Résumé : 1. The development of macroalgae to the detriment of corals is now one of the major threats to coral reefs. Herbivorous fishes are partly responsible for algal regulation on coral reefs and their overexploitation favours the shift from scleractinian coral-dominated systems towards macroalgae-dominated systems. 2. Marine protected areas (MPAs) that have been established worldwide may benefit coral reefs through the maintenance of high densities of herbivorous fishes which regulate algal growth. 3. The paper assesses whether small MPAs in the Caribbean are able to enhance herbivorous fish stock and by controlling macroalgae help to maintain reef ecosystems. A visual census using band-transects was undertaken around Guadeloupe island where marine reserves have been in place since 1979. The effects of MPAs on both benthic communities and herbivorous fishes are examined. 4. Inside MPAs, herbivorous fish biomass was almost twice as high as outside MPAs and macroalgal cover was significantly lower. Fish size class distributions revealed that large individuals occurred mainly inside MPAs and that few male individuals were found outside MPAs. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aquatic Conservation-marine And Freshwater Ecosystems (1052-7613) (John Wiley & Sons Ltd), 2010-07 , Vol. 20 , N. 5 , P. 516-524

Droits : 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00011/12214/9551.pdf
DOI:10.1002/aqc.1118
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00011/12214/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Despite the increasing dominance of turf algae in coral reefs, few studies have investigated their physiological and ecological responses to changes in abiotic factors. We tested the effects of depth and ultraviolet radiation on turf algae at different levels of successional stages using two experiments. Depth-related differences were found for all turf algal communities, characterized by a higher amount of the cyanobacteria taxon Dichothrix and the red filamentous genera Poly-/Herposiphonia in the shallow and the appearance of oscillating cyanobacteria in deeper waters. In the first experiment, cross-depth transplantation of 153 days old communities influenced percentage cover, biomass and taxa composition. Downward transplantation lowered overall biomass and abundance of the foraminifera Sorites, whereas the crustose green alga Pringsheimiella and filamentous cyanobacteria colonized the communities. A nearly reverse pattern was observed in upward transplanted communities. Overall we distinguished between sensitive taxa, like Oscillatoria, and taxa able to acclimate to alterations in their environment, like Pringsheimiella, Poly/Herposiphonia and Dichothrix. In the second experiment, algae grown for 285 days at 5 m were exposed together with a set of sterile settlement tiles to three UVR regimes at 2 m for 22 days. UVR had no effect on turf algal communities regardless of successional stage. This study highlights the presence of high light and UV tolerant species. The high UV tolerance of turf communities may confer a competitive advantage over other more sensitive coral reef biota, such as corals. This study demonstrates that turf algae are dynamic communities exhibiting species-specific resistance to environmental changes.
ISSN: 0022-0981

hal-01333486
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01333486
DOI : 10.1016/j.jembe.2014.07.017

Éditeur(s) : Public Library Science
Résumé : Biological invasions rank amongst the most deleterious components of global change inducing alterations from genes to ecosystems. The genetic characteristics of introduced pools of individuals greatly influence the capacity of introduced species to establish and expand. The recently demonstrated heritability of microbial communities associated to individual genotypes of primary producers makes them a potentially essential element of the evolution and adaptability of their hosts. Here, we characterized the bacterial communities associated to native and non-native populations of the marine green macroalga Caulerpa racemosa through pyrosequencing, and explored their potential role on the strikingly invasive trajectory of their host in the Mediterranean. The similarity of endophytic bacterial communities from the native Australian range and several Mediterranean locations confirmed the origin of invasion and revealed distinct communities associated to a second Mediterranean variety of C. racemosa long reported in the Mediterranean. Comparative analysis of these two groups demonstrated the stability of the composition of bacterial communities through the successive steps of introduction and invasion and suggested the vertical transmission of some major bacterial OTUs. Indirect inferences on the taxonomic identity and associated metabolism of bacterial lineages showed a striking consistency with sediment upheaval conditions associated to the expansion of their invasive host and to the decline of native species. These results demonstrate that bacterial communities can be an effective tracer of the origin of invasion and support their potential role in their eukaryotic host's adaptation to new environments. They put forward the critical need to consider the 'meta-organism' encompassing both the host and associated micro-organisms, to unravel the origins, causes and mechanisms underlying biological invasions.
Plos One (1932-6203) (Public Library Science), 2013-07 , Vol. 8 , N. 7 , P. -

Droits : 2013 Aires et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00157/26791/24886.pdf
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0068429
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00157/26791/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are impacting coral reefs worldwide. However, the factors and mechanisms driving their proliferation are unclear. We conducted a multi-year survey around the Caribbean island of Curaçao, which revealed highest BCM abundance on sheltered reefs close to urbanised areas. Reefs with high BCM abundance were also characterised by high benthic cover of macroalgae and low cover of corals. Nutrient concentrations in the water-column were consistently low, but markedly increased just above substrata (both sandy and hard) covered with BCMs. This was true for sites with both high and low BCM coverage, suggesting that BCM growth is stimulated by a localised, sub-strate-linked release of nutrients from the microbial degradation of organic matter. This hypothesis was supported by a higher organic content in sediments on reefs with high BCM coverage, and by an in situ experiment which showed that BCMs grew within days on sediments enriched with organic matter (Spirulina). We propose that nutrient runoff from urban-ised areas stimulates phototrophic blooms and enhances organic matter concentrations on the reef. This organic matter is transported by currents and settles on the seabed at sites with low hydrodynamics. Subsequently, nutrients released from the organic matter degradation fuel the growth of BCMs. Improved management of nutrients generated on land should lower organic loading of sediments and other benthos (e.g. turf and macroalgae) to reduce BCM proliferation on coral reefs.
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-01159626
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01159626
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01159626/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01159626/file/journal.pone.0125445.pdf
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0125445

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
The role of herbivorous fishes in maintaining low macroalgal cover was evaluated on coral reefs on several reef sites from Guadeloupe, either protected or not. Grazing by herbivorous fishes was assessed on different algal facies using fish-bite counts. Algal consumption by fish was estimated as well as algal production. Bite counts revealed that herbivorous fishes feed preferentially on algal turf and avoid brown macroalgae. The algal consumption varied between 0.4 and 2.8 g m days and was higher inside marine protected areas than outside. Comparison with algal production revealed that herbivorous fishes did not succeed in regulating algal growth. The insufficient number of grazers may lead to the dominance of stable assemblages of macroalgae on coral reefs, preventing the recovery of reef into previous coral-dominated ecosystems.
ISSN: 1438-387X

hal-00533405
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00533405
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00533405/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00533405/file/PEER_stage2_10.1007%252Fs10152-009-0177-4.pdf
DOI : 10.1007/s10152-009-0177-4

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD De Gruyter
Résumé : International audience
Coral reefs have undergone profound ecological changes over recent decades. Areas formerly covered by scleractinian coral species are now often overgrown by macroalgae. In Martinique (West Indies), this phenomenon has lead to the colonisation of numerous coral reefs by algae, amongst which Sargassum is one of the most prominent. This study focuses on potential defence molecules produced by Sargassum polyceratium. The hexane dipping method was employed to extract surface molecules on fresh material, and their bioactivities were assessed against bacteria (marine and estuarine), and marine tropical invertebrates wan annelid (Pseudonereis sp.), a bivalve (Codakia orbicularis) and a sea urchin (Diadema antillarum)x. Extracts were active against all microorganisms tested (MICs150 or 300 mg ml-1), early stages of development in Pseudonereis sp. (MICs100 mg ml-1) and embryos of C. orbicularis and D. antillarum (MICs5 mg ml-1), suggesting the production of defence compounds by S. polyceratium.
ISSN: 0006-8055

hal-00746082
https://hal.univ-antilles.fr/hal-00746082
https://hal.univ-antilles.fr/hal-00746082/document
https://hal.univ-antilles.fr/hal-00746082/file/Publication_Sargassum_bortanica_marina.pdf
DOI : 10.1515/BOT.2011.014

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
The extent to which Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) benefit corals is contentious. On one hand, MPAs could enhance coral growth and survival through increases in herbivory within their borders; on the other, they are unlikely to prevent disturbances, such as terrestrial runoff , that originate outside their boundaries. We examined the effect of spatial protection and terrestrial sediment on the benthic composition of coral reefs in Saint Lucia. In 2011 (10 to 16 years after MPAs were created), we resurveyed 21 reefs that had been surveyed in 2001 and analyzed current benthic assemblages as well as changes in benthic cover over that decade in relation to protection status, terrestrial sediment influence (measured as the proportion of terrigenous material in reef-associated sediment) and depth. The cover of all ben-thic biotic components has changed significantly over the decade, including a decline in coral and increase in macroalgae. Protection status was not a significant predictor of either current benthic composition or changes in composition, but current cover and change in cover of several components were related to terrigenous content of sediment deposited recently. Sites with a higher proportion of terrigenous sediment had lower current coral cover, higher macroalgal cover and greater coral declines. Our results suggest that terrestrial sediment is an important factor in the recent degradation of coral reefs in Saint Lucia and that the current MPA network should be complemented by measures to reduce runoff from land.
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-01281152
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01281152
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01281152/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01281152/file/journal.pone.0146855.PDF
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0146855

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Nature Publishing Group
Résumé : International audience
Losses of corals worldwide emphasize the need to understand what drives reef decline. Stressors such as overfishing and nutrient pollution may reduce resilience of coral reefs by increasing coral–algal competition and reducing coral recruitment, growth and survivorship. Such effects may themselves develop via several mechanisms, including disruption of coral microbiomes. Here we report the results of a 3-year field experiment simulating overfishing and nutrient pollution. These stressors increase turf and macroalgal cover, destabilizing microbiomes, elevating putative pathogen loads, increasing disease more than twofold and increasing mortality up to eightfold. Above-average temperatures exacerbate these effects, further disrupting microbiomes of unhealthy corals and concentrating 80% of mortality in the warmest seasons. Surprisingly, nutrients also increase bacterial opportunism and mortality in corals bitten by parrotfish, turning normal trophic interactions deadly for corals. Thus, overfishing and nutrient pollution impact reefs down to microbial scales, killing corals by sensitizing them to predation, above-average temperatures and bacterial opportunism.
ISSN: 2041-1723

Droits : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
hal-01340547
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01340547
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01340547/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01340547/file/ncomms11833.pdf
DOI : 10.1038/ncomms11833

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
Ecosystems are commonly affected by natural, episodic disturbances that can abruptly and drastically alter communities. Although it has been shown that resilient ecosystems can eventually recover to pre-disturbed states, the extent to which communities in early stages of recovery could be affected by multiple anthropogenic stressors is poorly understood. Pervasive and rising anthropogenic stressors in coastal marine systems that could interactively affect the recovery of these systems following natural disturbances include high sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, and overfishing. Using a 6-month field experiment, we examined the effects of all combinations of these three stressors on key functional groups in the benthic community growing on simulated, post-disturbance reef patches within a system recovering from large-scale natural disturbances (corallivorous seastar outbreak and cyclone). Our study revealed that sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, and overfishing (simulated using exclusion cages) interactively affected coral survival and algal growth, with taxon-specific effects at multiple scales. First, our treatments affected corals and algae differently, with sedimentation being more detrimental to macroalgal growth but less detrimental to coral (Porites rus) survival in caged plots, driving significant interactions between sedimentation and caging for both taxa. We also observed distinct responses between coral species and between algal functional groups, with the most extensive responses from algal turf biomass, for which sedimentation suppressed the synergistic (positive) combined effect of nutrient enrichment and caging. Our findings suggest that different combinations of ubiquitous anthropogenic stressors, related to either sea- or land-based activities, interactively influence community recovery from disturbance and may alter species compositions in the resulting community. Our findings further suggest that anthropogenic stressors could promote further degradation of coral reefs following natural disturbances by inhibiting recovery to coral-dominated states that provide vital ecosystem services to coastal populations worldwide.
ISSN: 0722-4028

hal-01430977
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01430977
DOI : 10.1007/s00338-016-1489-x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The tropical to warm-temperate marine brown macroalgal genus Lobophora (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) recently drew attention because of its striking regional diversity. In this study we reassess Lobophora global species diversity, and species distributions, and explore how historical factors have shaped current diversity patterns. We applied a series of algorithmic species delineation techniques on a global mitochondrial cox3 dataset of 598 specimens, resulting in an estimation of 98–121 species. This diversity by far exceeds traditional diversity estimates based on morphological data. A multi-locus time-calibrated species phylogeny using a relaxed molecular clock, along with DNA-confirmed species distribution data was used to analyse ancestral area distributions, dispersal-vicariance-founder events, and temporal patterns of diversification under different biogeographical models. The origin of Lobophora was estimated in the Upper Cretaceous (−75 to −60 MY), followed by gradual diversification until present. While most speciation events were inferred within marine realms, founder events also played a non-negligible role in Lobophora diversification. The Central Indo-Pacific showed the highest species diversity as a result of higher speciation events in this region. Most Lobophora species have small ranges limited to marine realms. Lobophora probably originated in the Tethys Sea and dispersed repeatedly in the Atlantic (including the Gulf of Mexico) and Pacific Oceans. The formation of the major historical marine barriers (Terminal Tethyan event, Isthmus of Panama, Benguela upwelling) did not act as important vicariance events. Long-distance dispersal presumably represented an important mode of speciation over evolutionary time-scales. The limited geographical ranges of most Lobophora species, however, vouch for the rarity of such events.
ISSN: 1055-7903

hal-01535635
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01535635
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01535635/document
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01535635/file/Vieira_2017_Historical.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.03.007

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Royal Society, The
Résumé : International audience
Although many coral reefs have shifted from coral-to-algal dominance, the consequence of such a transition for coral–algal interactions and their underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. At the microscale, it is unclear how diffusive boundary layers (DBLs) and surface oxygen concentrations at the coral–algal interface vary with algal competitors and competitiveness. Using field observations and microsensor measurements in a flow chamber, we show that coral (massive Porites) interfaces with thick turf algae, macroalgae, and cyanobacteria, which are successful competitors against coral in the field, are characterized by a thick DBL and hypoxia at night. In contrast, coral interfaces with crustose coralline algae, conspecifics, and thin turf algae, which are poorer competitors, have a thin DBL and low hypoxia at night. Furthermore, DBL thickness and hypoxia at the interface with turf decreased with increasing flow speed, but not when thick turf was upstream. Our results support the importance of water-mediated transport mechanisms in coral–algal interactions. Shifts towards algal dominance, particularly dense assemblages, may lead to thicker DBLs, higher hypoxia, and higher concentrations of harmful metabolites and pathogens along coral borders, which in turn may facilitate algal overgrowth of live corals. These effects may be mediated by flow speed and orientation.
ISSN: 0962-8452

hal-01359387
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01359387
DOI : 10.1098/rspb.2016.1137

Résumé : Une étude des facteurs influençant la composition et la répartition spatiale des abondances algales dans les communautés récifales des Antilles françaises et plus spécifiquement de Guadeloupe a été réalisée. Le rôle joué par les oursins diadème est plus particulièrement étudié. Les principaux compartiments des communautés récifales et les facteurs d'influence susceptibles de jouer un rôle dans la régulation du compartiment algal ont été dimensionnés sur 22 stations des Antilles françaises. Pour cela plusieurs indicateurs ont été testés. Après une description de chaque compartiment biotique (algues, herbivores, prédateurs), une recherche des facteurs influençant les caractéristiques du compartiment algal a été menée à trois échelles spatiales, à l'aide d'analyses statistiques non paramétriques, notamment des analyses canoniques des redondances et des correspondances. Puis, une recherche des facteurs influençant la répartition des oursins diadème a été également menée. Si les deux guildes d'herbivores étudiées (poissons et oursins diadème) ont un impact significatif sur l'abondance de gazon algal, seuls les poissons herbivores ont la capacité d'exercer cette influence à l'échelle des récifs de Guadeloupe et cette influence ne s'étend pas aux autres catégories algales. Notamment les phéophycées. A l'échelle de l'ensemble des îles étudiées, les analyses effectuées n'ont pas permis de mettre en évidence l'influence des herbivores sur la régulation des abondances algales. Les oursins diadèmes sont en faible densité dans les iles antillaises étudiées. Plusieurs facteurs susceptibles de participer à leur répartition en taille et en abondance sont identifiés.
A study of factors influencing the composition and spatial distribution of algal abundance in the French Caribbean reef communities and more specifically in Guadeloupe was conducted. The role of diadema sea urchins was particularly studied. For that, 22 stations in the French Antilles were selected and several indicators tested. After a description of each biotic compartment (algae, herbivore, predators), a search for factors influencing the characteristics of the algal compartment was conducted at three spatial scale, using non-parametric statistical analyses, including canonical correspondence analyses (cca) and redundancy analyses (rda). Then a search for the factors influencing the distribution of diadema sea urchins was also conducted. If the two guilds of herbivores (diadema sea urchin and fish) have a significant impact on the abundance of algal turf, only herbivorous fish was found to have an influence in the reefs of Guadeloupe and that influence was not observed on other algal groups, including phaeophyceae. At the scale of all the islands, the analyses did not enable to show the influence of herbivores in the regulation of algal abundance. The density of sea urchins was found to be low in the studied sites. Several factors likely to influence their distribution in size and their abundance were identified.

http://www.theses.fr/2012AGUY0522/document