RESULTS AUSTRAL ARCHIPELAGO
3.4 b
BENTHIC COVER ASSESSMENT Three of the five islands of the Austral Archipelago had
Astreopora, together accounting for 48-50% of the overall
moderate to high overall coral cover, but because of the
coral cover at each island. Pocillopora was the dominant
COTS outbreak the islands of Rurutu and Rimatara had
coral genera at Rurutu and Rimatara, measuring 14%
the lowest coral cover seen in all of French Polynesia2. The remainder of the islands had moderate to high coral cover with Raivavae having 35% (±16% S.D.) live coral, followed by Tubuai with 42% (±3% S.D.) coral, and Maria Oeste with the highest of the group with 52% (±12% S.D.) coral cover (see Figure 29). The dominant coral genera varied by island. On Maria Oeste, the dominant coral genera were Acropora and Pocillopora with nearly equal dominance accounting for over half of total overall coral observed. Raivavae and Tubuai were dominated by Acropora and
Figure 29 BENTHIC COVER (%) OF THE ISLANDS SURVEYED IN THE AUSTRAL ARCHIPELAGO. THE SUBSTRATE TYPES ARE BARE SUBSTRATE, ALGAE, LIVE CORAL, AND INVERTEBRATES.
46
The Austral Archipelago
overall highest diversity of corals
has the
seen in these four French Polynesian archipelagoes.