Dataset Information

Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on the observed density of coral reef fish along coastal habitats of Moorea, French Polynesia.

ABSTRACT: During the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, levels of coastal activities such as subsistence fishing and marine tourism declined rapidly throughout French Polynesia. Here, we examined whether the reduction in coastal use led to changes in fish density around the island of Moorea. Two natural coastal marine habitats (bare sand and mangrove) and one type of man-made coastal structure (embankment) were monitored on the west coast of the island before and after the first COVID-19 lockdown. At the end of the lockdown (May 2020), significantly higher apparent densities of juvenile and adult fish, including many harvested species, were recorded compared to levels documented in 2019 at the same period (April 2019). Fish densities subsequently declined as coastal activities recovered; however, 2 months after the end of the lockdown (July 2020), densities were still higher than they were in July 2019 with significant family-specific variation across habitats. This study highlights that short-term reductions in human activity can have a positive impact on coastal fish communities and may encourage future management policy that minimizes human impacts on coastline habitats.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10113-022-02011-0.

SUBMITTER: Bertucci F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9771778 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on the observed density of coral reef fish along coastal habitats of Moorea, French Polynesia.

Bertucci Frédéric F Feeney William E WE Cowan Zara-Louise ZL Gache Camille C Madi Moussa Rakamaly R Berthe Cécile C Minier Lana L Bambridge Tamatoa T Lecchini David D

Regional environmental change 20221222 1

During the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, levels of coastal activities such as subsistence fishing and marine tourism declined rapidly throughout French Polynesia. Here, we examined whether the reduction in coastal use led to changes in fish density around the island of Moorea. Two natural coastal marine habitats (bare sand and mangrove) and one type of man-made coastal structure (embankment) were monitored on the west coast of the island before and after the first COVID-19 lockdown. At the en ...[more]

PMID: 36573171

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Project description:Worldwide, many coral reefs are at risk of shifting to degraded algal-dominated states, due to compromised ecological conditions. Functional diversity of herbivorous fishes maintains coral reef health and promotes reef resilience to disturbances. Given previous evidence, it appears the functional roles of herbivorous fishes differ across geographical locations, indicating a need for further assessment of macroalgal consumption by herbivorous fishes. We assessed functional diversity by examining foraging behavior of herbivorous fish species on macroalgae on a fringing reef in Moorea, French Polynesia. We video-recorded choice experiments containing seven common macroalgae and used Strauss' linear resource selection index to determine macroalgal selectivities. We used cluster analysis to identify any distinct groups within herbivorous fish species, given the macroalgal species they targeted, and fitted generalized linear mixed-effects models to identify factors that best predicted the number of bites taken on macroalgae. Seven species from 3 fish families/tribes took a total of 956 bites. Fish species differed in their selectivity with some species (Naso lituratus, N. unicornis, Calatomus carolinus) strongly preferring one or two macroalgal species, while other fish species (Acanthurus nigrofuscus, Ctenochaetus striatus, Chlorurus sordidus, Balistapus undulatus) were less selective. This resulted in fish species forming two clusters. Only 3 of 7 macroalgae were preferred by any fish species, with two fish species both preferring the same two macroalgae. The limited differences in fish species' preferences for different macroalgae suggests limited functional complementarity. Two models (macroalgal species identity+fish functional group, macroalgal species identity+fish species) best predicted the number of bites taken on macroalgae compared to models incorporating only a single explanatory factor or fish family. In the context of this Moorean fringing reef, there is greater functional redundancy than complementarity of herbivorous fishes consuming macroalgae, and the fishes grouped together according to their relative selectivity. We observed fish species that are not classified as browsers consuming macroalgae, suggesting diets of herbivorous fishes may be broader than previously thought. Finally, we observed macroalgal selectivities and consumption that differed from previous studies for the same fish species. Our results contribute to the understanding of functional diversity of herbivorous fishes across coral reefs, and also highlight the need for additional research to further elucidate the role of context and functional diversity of herbivorous fishes consuming macroalgae on coral reefs.

Dataset Information

Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on the observed density of coral reef fish along coastal habitats of Moorea, French Polynesia.

Supplementary information

Publications

Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on the observed density of coral reef fish along coastal habitats of Moorea, French Polynesia.

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