RESULTS TUAMOTU ARCHIPELAGO
3.2 b
BENTHIC COVER ASSESSMENT Throughout all of the SCUBA survey sites visited in
Aratika, Rangiroa, Raraka, and Fakarava had nearly
the Tuamotu Archipelago, the primary substrate type was
identical coral cover, ranging from 33-38% overall live
hard bottom pavement, followed by live coral. Figure 17
coral. The atolls of Toau and Hao had slightly lower coral
shows the average percentage of the dominant benthic
cover with 18% (± 14% S.D.) and 24% (± 14% S.D.) coral
cover found at each island. As seen in Figure 17, the coral
cover recorded, respectively. The dominant corals in the
and algae cover was not highly variable by atoll.
Tuamotu Archipelago are the same as those found in the
Throughout all of the atolls sampled, between
Society Archipelago, with Pocillopora and Porites being the
46-54% of the overall live cover was algae, with CCA being
two most dominant coral genera. At Aratika, Rangiroa, and
the dominant algae type, except for Toau (Figure 18).
Hao, Pocillopora was the dominant coral genus recorded,
Toau was unique as it was dominated by fleshy macroalgae
covering 47% (± 22% S.D.), 42% (± 23% S.D.), and 24%
which measured 41% (± 29% S.D.) of the total algae recorded.
(± 25% S.D.) of the substrate respectively. The three
Figure 17 BENTHIC COVER (%) OF THE ISLANDS SURVEYED IN THE TUAMOTU ARCHIPELAGO. THE SUBSTRATE TYPES ARE BARE SUBSTRATE, ALGAE, LIVE CORAL, AND INVERTEBRATES.
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