THE ADAPTIVE POTENTIAL OF CORALS IN SUPPORT OF CORAL REEF MANAGEMENT IN THE FRENCH ANTILLES AND MAYOTTE/PACO

Following a call for expressions of interest from the Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB) to co-finance projects to improve knowledge in support of the management of national marine parks, the ENTROPIE (leader Gaël Lecellier) and BOREA (co-leader Malika Trouillefou) laboratories and their partners have been awarded funding for the PACO programme for a period of 3 years. The work will take place in the French West Indies and Mayotte. 

The aim of this landscape genomics project is to:

- Draw up maps of the adaptive potential of reefs in the West Indies and Mayotte, to identify priority areas for protection.

- Optimise reef protection systems and strengthen future restoration capacities.

- To propose a roadmap for the creation of 'reservoir zones', to be prioritised for long-term monitoring and the intensification of protection measures.

The results of the PACO project will support conservation plans and the orientation of other programmes related to the health and resilience of corals in these regions, promoted by managers of national marine parks and other reserves. The project currently involves 5 marine parks and reserves in these 2 regions.

Degree Heating weeks map for Mayotte and Antilles

Figure 1 - Degree Heating weeks map for Mayotte and Antilles