Volume 77
Dramatic reduction in colony size, but not abundance, in a major Caribbean reef building coral inside a no-take area in Barbados between 1997 and 2023
Authors
Henri Vallès, Irene Tovar, Paule Mathieu, and Virginie Millien Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2024
Event: Proceedings of the Seventy-Seventh Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Gosier
Country: Guadeloupe, French West Indies
Abstract
Coral reefs worldwide are experiencing rapid shifts in species composition due to climate change, threatening their long-term viability. While local conservation efforts such as no-take marine reserves can help mitigate climate impacts, their effectiveness depends strongly on local context (Bruno et al., 2019). Understanding the impact of these measures requires baseline studies and long-term monitoring of coral populations. Traditionally, coral reef health has been assessed using coral cover percentages, but this metric does not capture important demographic changes. Instead, tracking colony size-structure over time provides valuable insights into coral population dynamics and resilience (Edmunds and Riegl, 2020).