Conservation under warming ocean conditions for endemic corals and reef fishes of Rodrigues Island, Mauritius
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Abstract. Munbodhe V, Bhagooli R. 2025. Conservation under warming ocean conditions for endemic corals and reef fishes of Rodrigues Island, Mauritius. Indo Pac J Ocean Life 9: 147-162. Ocean warming has accelerated coral-algal phase shifts, threatening reef biodiversity and ecosystem functions. This study assessed coral reef conditions across 14 sites around Rodrigues Island, Mauritius, including four Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and ten Non-Protected Areas (NPAs), surveyed from November 2019 to December 2020. Coral cover, macroalgae, and substrate covers were quantified using underwater visual censuses and 15 quadrats per site (~4 m² each). Live coral cover in MPAs was 2.5 times higher than in NPAs, with significant differences in benthic composition (GLM–Poisson, p<0.001). Significant differences in live corals, macro-algae, and soft coral covers were observed between MPAs and NPAs, GLM-Poisson Distribution, p<0.001. The MPA harbored 2.5-fold more live corals than NPAs. Relatively low coral genera richness was noted in the no-take marine reserves (Pielou's Evenness Index, J=0.31 and Simpson Dominance, D=0.65) as compared to multiple use MPAs (0.65<J<0.96) and NPAs (0.94<J<0.83). Of the 150 coral species recorded, 47 were from the genus Acropora, which mostly occurred in the MPAs. The MPAs demonstrated significantly higher reef structural complexities than the high macroalgal and rubble covers in the NPAs, ANOVA Post-hoc, p<0.007. No endemic coral, Acropora rodriguensis, was observed at the surveyed sites, while Pomacentrus rodriguensis, the endemic reef fish, was dominant in algal-dominated NPAs. The presence of regionally and nationally endemic species highlights Rodrigues as a biodiversity hotspot requiring strengthened reef management. This study provides critical baseline data for coral reef resilience and underscores the need for genetic and long-term ecological monitoring to support ecosystem-based conservation in a warming ocean.
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