New light has been shed on how rainfall and land use can jointly shape the health of coral reefs, following a sweeping, multi-year scientific campaign across the tropical island of Mo’orea in French Polynesia. The study in question – published recently in Limnology and Oceanography – has revealed compelling new evidence that what happens on land reverberates through the island’s surrounding lagoons, providing comprehensive insight into the dynamic between the land and the sea.
The research was led by the University of California, Santa Barbara, with major contributions from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and other partner institutions as it analysed and examined contributing factors to marine health, including algal tissue nutrients, water chemistry, and microbial communities at nearly 200 sites circling Mo’orea.
