16 Reefscape Ecology Within the South Pacific
261
16.5 Conclusions
The development of reefscape ecology is based on the consideration of the reefscape
structures at multiple spatial scales. The confluence of the scales selected by the
Polynesia mana network and the VHR imagery partially responds to this issue. Whilst
the Polynesia mana network provides the coral cover rate at a decametric scale over
a 20 m
2 area, extended to the metric scale along some km, the VHR mapping covers
several km
2 at a sub-metric scale. The 3D reefscape dynamics, the bathymetry and
the benthic reflectance extracted from satellite imagery is significantly improved by
the 2D in situ survey. The joint effect of both the proliferation of the predator starfish
A. planci and the wake of the cyclone Oli is evidenced by a substantial decrease of
the bathymetric variance and the diversity of the bottom (entropy of the reflectance)
between 9 November 2006 and 17 March 2010. The biennal survey of the coral cover
enabled distinguishing the impact of these disturbances: the colour loss is mainly
due to the predation of A. planci and the smoothing of the bathymetry stems from
the wake of the cyclone. The consistency and the complementarity of these tools
strongly encourage their use over all the geographic sites of the Polynesia mana
network covering seven countries and territories.
References
Adam TC, Schmitt RJ, Holbrook SJ, Brooks AJ, Edmunds PJ et al (2011) Herbivory, connectivity,
and ecosystem resilience: response of a coral reef to a large-scale perturbation. PLoS One
6(8):e23717
Adjeroud M, Chancerelle Y, Schrimm M, Perez T, Lecchini D, Galzin R, Salvat B (2005) Detecting
the effects of natural disturbances on coral assemblages in French Polynesia: a decade survey
at multiple scales. Aquat Living Resour 18:111–123
Adjeroud M, Michonneau F, Edmunds PJ, Chancerelle Y, Lison de Loma T, Penin L, Thibaut L,
Vidal-Dupiol J, Salvat B, Galzin R (2009) Recurrent disturbances, recovery trajectories, and
resilience of coral assemblages on a South Central Pacific reef. Coral Reefs 28(3):775–780
Chabanet P, Adjeroud M, Andrefouët S, Bozec YM, Ferraris J, Garcia-Charton JA, Shrimm M
(2005) Human-induced physical disturbances and indicators on coral reef habitats: a hierarchical
approach. Aquat Living Resour 18:215–230
Clark C, Weitzman B (2008) Population study survey of Acanthaster planci, the Crown-of-Thorns
Starfish on the northwest coast Moorea, French Polynesia. Report of the University of California,
Santa Cruz
Collin A, Planes S (2012) Enhancing Coral Health Detection Using Spectral Diversity Indices from
WorldView-2 Imagery and Machine Learners. Remote Sens 2012, 4(10):3244-3264
Connell JH (1978) Diversity in tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Science 199:1302–1310
Connell JH, Hughes TP, Wallace CC (1997) A 30-year study of coral abundance, recruitment, and
disturbance at several scales in space and time. Ecol Monogr 67(4):461–488
Costanza R, d’Arge R, de Groot R, Farber S, Grasso M et al (1997) The value of the world’s
ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387:253–260
Dahl AL (1973) Surface area in ecological analysis: quantification of benthic coral-reef algae. Mar
Biol 23:239–249
English S, Wilkinson C, Baker V (1994) Survey manual for tropical marine resources. ASEANAustralia marine science project. Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB No 3 Townsville,
p 390
261
16.5 Conclusions
The development of reefscape ecology is based on the consideration of the reefscape
structures at multiple spatial scales. The confluence of the scales selected by the
Polynesia mana network and the VHR imagery partially responds to this issue. Whilst
the Polynesia mana network provides the coral cover rate at a decametric scale over
a 20 m
2 area, extended to the metric scale along some km, the VHR mapping covers
several km
2 at a sub-metric scale. The 3D reefscape dynamics, the bathymetry and
the benthic reflectance extracted from satellite imagery is significantly improved by
the 2D in situ survey. The joint effect of both the proliferation of the predator starfish
A. planci and the wake of the cyclone Oli is evidenced by a substantial decrease of
the bathymetric variance and the diversity of the bottom (entropy of the reflectance)
between 9 November 2006 and 17 March 2010. The biennal survey of the coral cover
enabled distinguishing the impact of these disturbances: the colour loss is mainly
due to the predation of A. planci and the smoothing of the bathymetry stems from
the wake of the cyclone. The consistency and the complementarity of these tools
strongly encourage their use over all the geographic sites of the Polynesia mana
network covering seven countries and territories.
References
Adam TC, Schmitt RJ, Holbrook SJ, Brooks AJ, Edmunds PJ et al (2011) Herbivory, connectivity,
and ecosystem resilience: response of a coral reef to a large-scale perturbation. PLoS One
6(8):e23717
Adjeroud M, Chancerelle Y, Schrimm M, Perez T, Lecchini D, Galzin R, Salvat B (2005) Detecting
the effects of natural disturbances on coral assemblages in French Polynesia: a decade survey
at multiple scales. Aquat Living Resour 18:111–123
Adjeroud M, Michonneau F, Edmunds PJ, Chancerelle Y, Lison de Loma T, Penin L, Thibaut L,
Vidal-Dupiol J, Salvat B, Galzin R (2009) Recurrent disturbances, recovery trajectories, and
resilience of coral assemblages on a South Central Pacific reef. Coral Reefs 28(3):775–780
Chabanet P, Adjeroud M, Andrefouët S, Bozec YM, Ferraris J, Garcia-Charton JA, Shrimm M
(2005) Human-induced physical disturbances and indicators on coral reef habitats: a hierarchical
approach. Aquat Living Resour 18:215–230
Clark C, Weitzman B (2008) Population study survey of Acanthaster planci, the Crown-of-Thorns
Starfish on the northwest coast Moorea, French Polynesia. Report of the University of California,
Santa Cruz
Collin A, Planes S (2012) Enhancing Coral Health Detection Using Spectral Diversity Indices from
WorldView-2 Imagery and Machine Learners. Remote Sens 2012, 4(10):3244-3264
Connell JH (1978) Diversity in tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Science 199:1302–1310
Connell JH, Hughes TP, Wallace CC (1997) A 30-year study of coral abundance, recruitment, and
disturbance at several scales in space and time. Ecol Monogr 67(4):461–488
Costanza R, d’Arge R, de Groot R, Farber S, Grasso M et al (1997) The value of the world’s
ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387:253–260
Dahl AL (1973) Surface area in ecological analysis: quantification of benthic coral-reef algae. Mar
Biol 23:239–249
English S, Wilkinson C, Baker V (1994) Survey manual for tropical marine resources. ASEANAustralia marine science project. Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB No 3 Townsville,
p 390