Abstract
Despite increased attention over the last decade on Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) [...]
Highlights
UMR ENTROPIE, Université de La Réunion, IRD, CNRS, IFREMER, UNC, 97744 Saint Denis CEDEX 9, Laboratoire d’Excellence “CORAIL”, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France; PSL Université Paris, CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, CRIOBE USR3278, 66860 Perpignan, France
Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) are understudied at Reunion Island and more broadly in the southwestern Indian Ocean where currently a limited number of studies document the benthic communities at these depths
In Reunion Island where a frequent volcanic activity is recorded at the southeastern part of the island, both species diversity and composition of coral assemblages on lava flows at shallow depths (0–30 m depth) are distinct from typical coral reef sites located on the western and southern coast of Reunion Island [7]
Summary
Ludovic Hoarau 1,2,3, * , Héloïse Rouzé 3,4,5 , Émilie Boissin 3,4,5 , Nicole Gravier-Bonnet 5,6 , Patrick Plantard 5 , Camille Loisil 5 , Lionel Bigot 1,3 , Pascale Chabanet 1,3 , Priscille Labarrère 2 , Lucie Penin 1,3 , Mehdi Adjeroud 1,3 and Thierry Mulochau 6,7. Most corals were alive some parts of some colonies of Stylaster were dead with their skeleton colonized with algae, sponges, and other hydroids (Figure 2a) The extent of this mesophotic benthic formation composed with Leptoseris spp. and Stylaster flabelliformis is estimated to be over 15,000 m2. No more specimens were reported in the scientific literature though Stylaster were documented during ROV surveys conducted between 100 and 400 m depths on the volcanic slopes of Reunion Island in 2009 [11]. Deep-water corals on young geological and prehistoric lava flows in Hawaii may present large numbers and sizes of Coralliidae colonies [6] This is the first documented record of such original benthic community composition with a high cover and size of both Leptoseris and Stylaster colonies on mesophotic lava flows. The colonies of S. flabelli of 6 formis collected at 95 m depth during the CCR dives are the first new specimens studied since the nineteenth century
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