Blanchissement des coraux | EPFL Graph Search

Le blanchissement des coraux, blanchiment du corail, ou blanchissement corallien est un phénomène de dépérissement des coraux, qui se traduit par une décoloration de l’animal (et du récif) à la suite de l’expulsion des zooxanthelles symbiotiques ou en raison de la perte de pigmentation des algues. Quand le corail subit un blanchissement, cela ne veut pas dire qu'il meurt. Les coraux ont la capacité d'y survivre mais ils deviennent beaucoup plus vulnérables au moindre stress. Ils ont une certaine résistance aux fluctuations environnementales normales de la température, qui est un des facteurs causant un stress important. Ce phénomène qui semble en augmentation régulière dans les océans peut conduire — par insuffisance en apports nutritifs — à la mort du corail sur de vastes surfaces (c'est une des formes de Zones mortes de plus en plus souvent observées en mer). Description du phénomène La plupart des coraux des mers chaudes vivant près de la surface abritent des algues un

Photic stress on coral reefs in the Maldives: The Amphistegina bleaching index

Arthur Adams, Aurélie Angéloz, Anaël Lehmann

The Amphistegina Bleaching Index (ABI) was applied to three Maldivian reefs in the Rasdhoo and North Ari Atolls in 2018, during normal sea surface temperature conditions. This dataset was then compared with a 2015, pre-coral bleaching study. The results provide a context for the verification and application of the ABI in outlining the photoinhibitory stress status of coral reefs outside of the Florida Reef Tract where it was originally developed. The sampling periods encompass different seasons and temperature regimes. The 2015 field sampling preceeded the El Nino induced, mass coral-bleaching events of 2015 and 2016. It was carried out in late April and early May, during the dry season, when temperatures exceeded 31.5 degrees C and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was high. The 2018 sampling took place near the September equinox, towards the end of the monsoon, when PAR was again high, though water temperatures were similar to 30 degrees C. Although there were slightly higher percentages of bleached Amphistegina in 2018, there were also higher percentages of juveniles, indicating either that (1) the chronic stress was insufficient to impact asexual reproduction or (2) the onset of stress was within the past few weeks; the latter hypothesis was supported by an increase in PAR and temperature coinciding with the time of sampling. From the ABI plots it is possible to distinguish between the 2015 (high data scatter), highly stressed pre-bleaching conditions with elevated photo-oxidative stress levels, and the near-baseline conditions represented by the 2018 dataset (tight data clustering). Overall, this study thus shows the potential of Amphistegina populations and the ABI in forecasting bleaching events, and contributing to the question of the resilience potential of the coral reefs as a whole. It also highlights the usefulness and suitability of the ABI, within Maldivian coral reefs, as an indicator of photo-inhibition through photo-oxidative stress that can increase susceptibility to coral bleaching as water temperatures approach or exceed the bleaching threshold.

ELSEVIER2020

Responses of reef bioindicators to recent temperature anomalies in distinct areas of the North Ari and Rasdhoo atolls (Maldives)

Arthur Adams, Aurélie Angéloz, Anaël Lehmann

Assessments of reef sediments in the North Ari Atoll (Maldives) were conducted in 2015 and 2018 on reefs of three islands with different management strategies: community, resort, and uninhabited. Indices applied were the Foraminifera in Reef Assessment and Monitoring Index (FI) and the Sediment Constituents Index (SI). Both indices are based on shells or fragments of functional groups, which for the FI are foraminiferal shells and for the SI are sediment components. The FI is considered to be an indicator of water quality and the SI an indicator of water quality, community structure, and processes such as grazing and bioerosion. Both indices indicated that environmental deterioration occurred between 2015 and 2018, likely related to the intense temperature anomaly in March–June 2016 that caused widespread coral bleaching and mortality. Median FI declined from 5.1 to 4.0 overall, indicating that water quality still supports reef accretion, though the replacement of coral cover by algae and sponges likely provides more food sources for smaller, faster-growing foraminiferal species. The median SI values similarly declined from 3.8 to 3.0, reflecting a decrease in identifiable coral fragments and an increase in unidentifiable clasts, likely indicative of increased bioerosion. Although a minor component, molluscan fragments also increased by 25%, likely in response to more algal cover for grazers. In 2015, the FI and SI data indicated that the island management regime contributed to the reef health status. Uninhabited islands were associated with higher indices compared to resort and community islands. A clear distinction between management regimes was not observed in 2018, because a major decrease in FI (median: 4.9 in 2015, 2.9 in 2018) was recorded offshore from an agricultural settlement on the previously “uninhabited” island surveyed. These observations support the usefulness of these indices in reef assessment, and provide additional understanding that the FI can respond to a coral-mortality event that alters food sources in the benthic community.

2020

Photic stress on coral reefs in the Maldives: The Amphistegina bleaching index

Arthur Adams, Aurélie Angéloz, Anaël Lehmann

ELSEVIER2020

Responses of reef bioindicators to recent temperature anomalies in distinct areas of the North Ari and Rasdhoo atolls (Maldives)

Arthur Adams, Aurélie Angéloz, Anaël Lehmann

2020