Reef fish diversity at Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, during the five years following the 1998 coral bleaching event.
Quantitative surveys of fish-species diversity were undertaken at 10 m and 20 m water depth on the outer reef at Aldabra Atoll, southern Seychelles, between November 1999 and May 2003. No significant changes in total fish-species diversity, numbers of families represented by these species, or numbers of pomacentrid or chaetodontid species were seen, contrary to fish-diversity changes seen on coral bleaching-impacted reefs elsewhere. The lack of additional anthropogenic pressures at remote Aldabara may make this system, and others like it, more tolerant of bleaching-related population changes.
Downing
Nigel
N
Cambridge Coastal Research Unit, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK. mukiwa@netcomuk.co.uk
Buckley
Raymond
R
Stobart
Ben
B
Leclair
Larry
L
Teleki
Kristian
K
D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D005399:Fishes / Q000254:growth & development*; D019156:Indian Ocean; D007195:Indian Ocean Islands