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Article Dans Une Revue Scientific Reports Année : 2021

Long term relationship between farming damselfish, predators, competitors and benthic habitat on coral reefs of Moorea Island

William Feeney
  • Fonction : Auteur
Emma Gairin
Gilles Siu
  • Fonction : Auteur
Viliame Waqalevu
  • Fonction : Auteur
Morgan Antoine
  • Fonction : Auteur
Thierry Lison de Loma
  • Fonction : Auteur
Serge Planes
René Galzin
  • Fonction : Auteur
David Lecchini

Résumé

Abstract Understanding the processes that shape biodiversity is essential for effective environmental management. Across the world’s coral reefs, algal farming damselfish ( Stegastes sp.) modify the surrounding benthic community through their creation of algae “farms”. Using a long-term monitoring dataset (2005–2019) from Moorea Island, French Polynesia, we investigated whether the density of dusky damselfish ( Stegastes nigricans ) is associated with benthic habitat composition, the density of predators and/or competitors, and whether the survey area was inside or outside of a Marine Protected Area (MPA). We found no evidence that benthic cover or number of competitors were associated with dusky damselfish densities, both inside and outside MPAs. In contrast, fluctuations in dusky damselfish densities were negatively associated with the density of predators (e.g. Serranidae, Muraenidae and Scorpaenidae) in the preceding year in non-MPA areas, and both within and outside of MPAs when predator densities were high (2005–2010). These results suggest that healthy predator populations may be important for regulating the abundances of keystone species, such as algal farming damselfish, especially when predator densities are high.

Dates et versions

hal-03328564 , version 1 (30-08-2021)

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Citer

William Feeney, Frédéric Bertucci, Emma Gairin, Gilles Siu, Viliame Waqalevu, et al.. Long term relationship between farming damselfish, predators, competitors and benthic habitat on coral reefs of Moorea Island. Scientific Reports, 2021, 11 (1), ⟨10.1038/s41598-021-94010-0⟩. ⟨hal-03328564⟩
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