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The Future of Giant Clam-Dominated Lagoon Ecosystems Facing Climate Change

  • Corals and Climate Change (C Langdon, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Several small isolated Pacific Ocean atoll lagoons were characterized by their unique abundances of giant clams for at least 35 years, but they were recently affected by massive mortalities. We review evidences that confirm collapses in the past 10 years, discuss the likely causal factors based on current knowledge, and assess the consequences for management.

Recent Findings

Recent in situ and modeling research have focused on how management, natural processes, and climate change can influence the population trajectories. Projections suggest increasing risks with limited management options to reverse the trend.

Summary

The various documented cases support the hypothesis that mass mortalities of giant clams are triggered by climate variability, enhanced by the geomorphological specificities of these atolls. The exact mechanisms leading to mortalities and consequences for the whole ecosystem remain unknown and are probably case-dependent. These collapsing ecosystems represent well the fast impact that climate change can have on reef ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

The authors state that there is no conflict of interest. Most of the studies cited in this review would not have been possible without the consent and logistical help of inhabitants of Tuamotu atolls and village authorities. The Direction des Resources Marines et Minières supported the research activities through various grants since 2002. We acknowledge the participation and involvement of many colleagues throughout the years, most of them co-authors of the papers reviewed here. Two anonymous reviewers and the Section Editor (Chris Langdon) made useful suggestions to improve the initial draft. This is Entropie contribution # 235.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR-9220 ENTROPIE, (IRD, Université de La Réunion, CNRS), Noumea, New Caledonia

    Simon Van Wynsberge & Serge Andréfouët

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  1. Simon Van Wynsberge
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  2. Serge Andréfouët
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Correspondence to Serge Andréfouët.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Corals and Climate Change

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Van Wynsberge, S., Andréfouët, S. The Future of Giant Clam-Dominated Lagoon Ecosystems Facing Climate Change. Curr Clim Change Rep 3, 261–270 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40641-017-0078-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40641-017-0078-6

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