Traditional vs new approaches for assessing coral health: A global overview and the paradigm of French polynesia

• Main Authors: Hédouin, Laetitia, Berteaux-Lecellier, Véronique
• Other Authors: Centre de recherches insulaires et observatoire de l'environnement (CRIOBE), Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL (LabEX CORAIL), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (UAG)-École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Université de la Polynésie Française (UPF)-Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (UNC)-Institut d'écologie et environnement-Université des Antilles (UA)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2014
• Subjects: coral heath; indicator; French Polynesia; stress; [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology; environment; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01342777; https://doi.org/10.6119/JMST-013-0813-2

International audience Today, there is increasing concern regarding the capacity ofScleractinian corals to sustain the growing number of insultsassociated with global and local changes (e.g. global warming,ocean acidification, pollution). If corals are to exist, there is anurgent need to use indicators of coral health that provide insightinto early sub lethal shifts in corals before the irreversibleeffects of exposure manifest at the population and communitylevels. This paper will provide an overview of the most relevantand appropriate indicators of coral health currently usedin traditional monitoring programs (traditional approach) orthose that could be used in a near future to improve assessmentof coral health (new and proactive approach). In addition, byusing French Polynesia coral reefs as a study case, this paperwill present how coral health was assessed in the past and howit will be in a near future.