Aim Ecological state shifts that alter the structure and function of entire ecosystems are a concerning consequence of human impact. Yet, when, where and why discrete ecological states emerge remains difficult to predict and monitor, especially in high‐diversity systems. We sought to quantify state shifts and their drivers through space and time in the most ecologically complex marine ecosystem: tropical coral reefs. Location...

Investigating coral recruitment is critical to better understand replenishment and resilience capacities of coral reef ecosystems and to improve their conservation. Here, we examined the spatio‐temporal patterns of coral recruitment and the influence of confamilial adult coral cover in the region of Toliara, southwest Madagascar. Terracotta tiles were immersed from October to late January over a 3‐year period (2018–2021) at 10...

Recurring outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) severely damage healthy corals, especially in the Western Pacific Ocean. To obtain a better understanding of population genetics of COTS and historical colonization across the Pacific Ocean, complete mitochondrial genomes were sequenced from 243 individuals collected in 11 reef regions. Our results indicate that Pacific COTS ( Acanthaster cf. solaris ) comprise two major c...

Sea‐level rise is predicted to cause major damage to tropical coastlines. While coral reefs can act as natural barriers for ocean waves, their protection hinges on the ability of scleractinian corals to produce enough calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) to keep up with rising sea levels. As a consequence of intensifying disturbances, coral communities are changing rapidly, potentially reducing community‐level CaCO 3 production. By com...

The choice of ecological monitoring methods and descriptors determines the effectiveness of a program designed to assess the state of coral reef ecosystems. Here, we comparer the relative performance of the traditional Line Intercept Transect (LIT) method with three methods derived from underwater photogrammetry: LIT on orthomosaics, photoquadrats from orthomosaics, and surface analyses on orthomosaics. The data were acquired...

Rapa (27°36′ S, 144°20′ W) is a small (~40 km 2 ) volcanic island isolated in the Southern Austral Archipelago, where direct anthropogenic stressors are extremely limited. Here, we present the results of the first quantitative survey of coral community structure across habitats and depths around the island. Despite its geographical isolation in the depauperate South Central Pacific, its small size and unfavourable environmenta...

Occasional population outbreaks of the crown‐of‐thorns sea star, A canthaster planci , are a major threat to coral reefs across the Indo‐Pacific. The presumed association between the serial nature of these outbreaks and the long larval dispersal phase makes it important to estimate larval dispersal; many studies have examined the population genetic structure of A . planci for this purpose using different genetic markers. Howev...