This study reports the first measurements of nitrogen uptake and new data on carbon fixation (15N/13C incorporation) for two size-fractionated phytoplankton (<2 μm and >2 μm), on organic matter, and phytoplankton stocks in Ahe lagoon. Data were collected between November and December 2017, during the hot season with prevailing trade winds. Ammonium and nitrate uptake data (7.58 to 39.81 and 1.80 to 21.43 μmol N m−3 h−1, respectively) suggest a rapid turn-over of N-nutrients in the water column and show that primary production was largely sustained by recycled nitrogen providing 68% of the pelagic N demand. These results highlight the spatial heterogeneity of the measured processes linked to the local hydrodynamics, exhibiting higher regenerated production in the more exploited southwestern part of the lagoon and a higher proportion of new production in the north. Intense nutrient recycling appears to promote nanophytoplankton production which is critical for pearl oyster growth.

Benthic exchanges of oxygen and nutrient at the sediment-water interface were investigated under light and dark conditions at 5 selected sites in a sub-tropical atoll. Mean oxygen fluxes were - 1316.5 ± 242.0 μmol m−2 h−1 and mean effluxes of oxygen under light conditions were 2231.7 ± 626.4 μmol m−2 h−1, presumably due to microphytobenthos present at the sediment-water interface. The consequences of this high related productivity was a systematic consumption of nutrients (DIN, PO4 and Si(OH)4) during almost all light incubations, contrasting with the effluxes of nutrients during dark incubations. Our results suggest that the sediments were net autotrophic and the oxygen balance in favor of microbenthic production when compared to community demand. Diurnal rates of gross benthic primary productivity were high (3423 ± 1192 μmol m−2 h−1) which emphasize the role of microphytobenthos in maintaining the oxygen reservoir in tropical lagoons.

Seagrass ecosystems exist throughout Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Despite this area covering nearly 8% of the global ocean, information on seagrass distribution, biogeography, and status remains largely absent from the scientific literature. We confirm 16 seagrass species occur across 17 of the 22 PICTs with the highest number in Melanesia, followed by Micronesia and Polynesia respectively. The greatest diversity of seagrass occurs in Papua New Guinea (13 species), and attenuates eastward across the Pacific to two species in French Polynesia. We conservatively estimate seagrass extent to be 1446.2 km², with the greatest extent (84%) in Melanesia. We find seagrass condition in 65% of PICTs increasing or displaying no discernible trend since records began. Marine conservation across the region overwhelmingly focuses on coral reefs, with seagrass ecosystems marginalised in conservation legislation and policy. Traditional knowledge is playing a greater role in managing local seagrass resources and these approaches are having greater success than contemporary conservation approaches. In a world where the future of seagrass ecosystems is looking progressively dire, the Pacific Islands appears as a global bright spot, where pressures remain relatively low and seagrass more resilient.

Mass-mortality events of marine species can disturb the structure of communities. While identifying the causes of mass-mortality events is crucial for implementing recovery strategies, monitoring is challenging in remote locations. Black-lip pearl oysters (Pinctada margaritifera) are farmed for producing black pearls within remote atolls of French Polynesia. Previous mass-mortality events have resulted in the collapse of oysters and other species; however, the causes and conditions that favour recovery are unclear. We investigated the potential for oyster population recovery 5 years after a mortality event at Takaroa Atoll (Tuamotu Archipelago). Temperature, food availability (total chlorophyll-a), growth and reproduction were monitored. Growth was also simulated using a Dynamic Energy Budget model. Despite favourable conditions, reduced growth and reproduction signalled an energetic deficit. The model overpredicted growth, and supported the hypotheses that individuals are unable to profit from the phytoplankton available and maintenance costs are high in Takaroa, ultimately explaining their poor physiological condition.

The currents flowing across the rim of the atoll of Raroia were investigated with a 1 year-long dataset of wave, water level and currents. Offshore waves break on the edge of the reef outside the atoll's rim and drive current into the lagoon, through the shallow hoa that cut across the rim. The additional water volume generated by this wave driven flow induces an elevation of water level throughout the atoll's lagoon and is evacuated back into the open ocean through a deep reef pass. The water level inside the atoll is also driven by astronomical tides, which enter the lagoon thought the reef pass, after undergoing a ~50% decrease in amplitude and a ~4 hour lag. Using a simple parametric model with three calibrated coefficients, we show that currents across the atoll's rim can be estimated as a function of the offshore wave conditions and the water level difference between the ocean and the lagoon.

Connectivity affects species demography, (meta)population dynamics, evolution, phylogeny and biogeography. Various methodological approaches are applied to measure connectivity. Biophysical modelling can explore systematically the influence of atmospheric, oceanic and ecological forcing, while genetics measures connectivity patterns within the sampling strategy limit. In the Pacific Ocean pearl farming lagoons, the activity relies on spat collecting of the black lipped pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera occurring after the larval dispersal phase, which follows spawning from wild or farmed populations. Biophysical 3D modelling and genomic studies have both separately brought insights on within-lagoon connectivity and on the origin of spats. Here, we combined previous genetics results with new realistic biophysical modelling scenarios to elucidate connectivity in Ahe Atoll lagoon. When combined, we identified the weather sequence likely explaining the realized connectivity observations. We discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of combining these two approaches considering specific pearl farming demographic connectivity questions.

Benthic exchanges of oxygen and nutrient at the sediment-water interface were investigated under light and dark conditions at 5 selected sites in a sub-tropical atoll. Mean oxygen fluxes were - 1316.5 ± 242.0 μmol m⁻² h⁻¹ and mean effluxes of oxygen under light conditions were 2231.7 ± 626.4 μmol m⁻² h⁻¹, presumably due to microphytobenthos present at the sediment-water interface. The consequences of this high related productivity was a systematic consumption of nutrients (DIN, PO₄ and Si(OH)₄) during almost all light incubations, contrasting with the effluxes of nutrients during dark incubations. Our results suggest that the sediments were net autotrophic and the oxygen balance in favor of microbenthic production when compared to community demand. Diurnal rates of gross benthic primary productivity were high (3423 ± 1192 μmol m⁻² h⁻¹) which emphasize the role of microphytobenthos in maintaining the oxygen reservoir in tropical lagoons.

Pearl farming sustainability in South Central Pacific (SCP) atolls strongly depends on water quality and renewal. These factors are partly controlled by the wave conditions that impact the lagoon circulation. To characterize the wave conditions around 83 SCP atolls including those hosting pearl farming activities, we used 18 years of WaveWatchIII simulation with a grid refined from 50 to 5 km resolution. Three regional wave regimes are statistically identified: two associated with long distant swells originating from mid-latitude storms, and one with local trade winds. All regimes occur with a relatively high frequency (22–44%), but with a marked seasonality. Wave conditions are also strongly modified locally during their propagation between the archipelagoes. Western and southern isolated atolls generally have a single regime all around their rims. In contrast, central Tuamotu atolls experience different regimes depending on their levels of protection. These results help understanding atoll hydrodynamics, which has implications for their management.