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Small-scale variability in the size structure of scleractinian corals around Moorea, French Polynesia: patterns across depths and locations

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Abstract

The size structure of coral populations is influenced by biotic and physical factors, as well as species-specific demographic rates (recruitment, colony growth, mortality). Coral reefs surrounding Moorea Island are characterized by strong environmental gradients at small spatial scales, and therefore, we expected that the size structure of coral populations would vary greatly at this scale. This study aimed at determining the degree of spatial heterogeneity in the population size structure of two coral taxa, Pocillopora meandrina and massive Porites spp., among depths (6, 12, and 18 m) and among locations (Vaipahu, Tiahura and Haapiti) representing different exposure to hydrodynamic forces. Our results clearly underlined the strong heterogeneity in the size structure of both P. meandrina and massive Porites spp., with marked variation among depths and among locations. However, the lack of any consistent and regular trends in the size structure along depths or among locations, and the lack of correlation between size structure and mean recruitment rates may suggest that other factors (e.g., stochastic life history processes, biotic interactions, and disturbances) further modify the structure of coral populations. We found that the size structure of P. meandrina was fundamentally different to that of massive Porites spp., reflecting the importance of life history characteristics in population dynamics.

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Acknowledgements

This manuscript was greatly improved following discussions with DC Afzal, AH Baird, RPM Bak and TP Hughes, and critical comments made by anonymous reviewers. This research was supported by grants from the Plan Pluri Formation EPHE, from “La Fondation d’Entreprise Total”, from the Ministère de l’Outre-Mer, and from the Research Programmes BioAqua (Délégation à la Recherche de la Polynésie française, DRRT, ANR) and CoralDiv (ANR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, UMR 5244 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Laboratoire “Ecosystèmes Aquatiques Tropicaux et Méditerranéens”, Université de Perpignan, Avenue Paul Alduy, Perpignan Cedex, 66860, France

    Mehdi Adjeroud & Lucie Penin

  2. Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l’Environnement, Papetoai, Moorea, BP 1013, French Polynesia

    Mehdi Adjeroud & Lucie Penin

  3. ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Q4811, Australia

    Morgan S. Pratchett

  4. Center for Marine Studies, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Q4072, Australia

    Marie C. Kospartov

  5. Centre Océanologique de Marseille, UMR 6540, DIMAR, rue de la batterie des lions, 13007, Marseille, France

    Christophe Lejeusne

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  1. Mehdi Adjeroud
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  2. Morgan S. Pratchett
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  3. Marie C. Kospartov
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  4. Christophe Lejeusne
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  5. Lucie Penin
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Correspondence to Mehdi Adjeroud.

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Handling editor: I. Nagelkerken

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Adjeroud, M., Pratchett, M.S., Kospartov, M.C. et al. Small-scale variability in the size structure of scleractinian corals around Moorea, French Polynesia: patterns across depths and locations. Hydrobiologia 589, 117–126 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0726-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0726-2

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