International Coral Reef Symposium Executive Committe
Abstract
Two acoustic surveys have been done in the lagoon all around New Caledonia, with a digital integrator. The cruises lasting two weeks were done at six month interval. Much information has been obtained on stock biomass and spatial distribution of fish and schools. Fish are dispersed at night and stay near the surface. During the day they form schools, usually of very small size. Some species are found mostly along the coasts, on the reef flats and far inside in the bays. Some others stay in the middle of the bays or in the central part of the lagoon and occur usually in deeper water at some distance of the bottom. Aerial and diving observations have shown that the fish of coastal schools were feeding on the reef. Species schooling during the day in the middle of the bays usualy occur deep in the water, not far from the bottom where suspended organic matter is abundant. In a shallow water environment like a coral reef lagoon, the concept of pelagic fish is questionable and most species seem to have strong relations with the bottom. The small pelagic fish, preyed by larger pelagic species (jacks, scads, spanish mackerels ...), play a role of energy transfer from the benthic to the pelagic compartment. (Résumé d'auteur
