Effect of nutrient excess on a modern fringing reef (Reunion Island, western Indian Ocean). Geological implications

International audienceIn Reunion island (Indian Ocean), La Saline fringing reef is subjected to varying biotic disruption due to discharge of nutrient-rich waters. A multidisciplinary study including water chemistry and bionomy allowed the authors to define the relationships between nutrient availability and reef community structure. A predictive model of community replacement sequence indicative of increased eutrophication is proposed as a modern analog for the fossil record