Acanthuridae and Scarinae: Drivers of the Resilience of a Polynesian Coral Reef

Abstract

Anthropogenic pressures are increasing and induce more frequent and stronger disturbances on ecosystems especially on coral reefs which is one of the most diverse on Earth. Long-term data series are increasingly needed to understand and evaluate the consequences of such pressures on ecosystems. This 30-years monitoring program allowed a description of the ability of the coral reef of Tiahura (French Polynesia) to recover after two main coral cover declines, due to Acanthaster planci outbreaks. The study is divided in two distinct periods framing the drop of coral cover and analyze the reaction of two herbivorous family: Acanthuridae and Scarinae. First we compared the successive roles they played in the herbivorous community, then we evaluated the changes in species composition that occurred for both Acanthuridae and Scarinae between these two periods. The long-term study of this coral reef ecosystem provided a valuable study case of the resilience over 30 years.