Documenting decadal disturbance dynamics reveals archipelago-specific recovery and compositional change on Polynesian reefs

Coral reefs are declining at an unprecedented rate as a consequence of local and global stressors. Using 26-year monitoring database, we analyzed the loss recovery dynamics coral communities across seven islands three archipelagos in French Polynesia. Reefs Society Islands recovered relatively quickly after disturbances, which was driven by corals genus Pocillopora (84% total recovery). In contrast, Tuamotu Austral poorly or not all. Across archipelagos, predation crown-of-thorns starfish destruction cyclones outweighed effects heat stress events on mortality. Despite apparently limited effect temperature-mediated stressors, homogenization towards dominance Archipelago failure to fully recover from disturbances other two concern resilience Polynesian face intensifying climate-driven