Coral reef fish density at a tourist destination responded rapidly to COVID-19 restrictions.

Abstract

Throughout the world, anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems is intensifying, notably through urbanisation, economic development, and tourism. Coral reefs have become exposed to stressors related to tourism. To reveal the impact of human activities on fish communities, we used COVID-19-related social restrictions in 2021. In French Polynesia, from February to December 2021, there was a series of restrictions on local activities and international tourism. We assessed the response of fish populations in terms of changes in the species richness and density of fish in the lagoon of Bora-Bora (French Polynesia). We selected sites with varying human pressures-some dedicated to tourism activities, others affected by boat traffic, and control sites with little human presence. Underwater visual surveys demonstrated that fish density and richness differed spatially and temporally. They were lowest on sites affected by boat traffic regardless of pandemic-related restrictions, and when activities were authorised; they were highest during lockdowns. Adult fish density increased threefold on sites usually affected by boat traffic during lockdowns and increased 2.7-fold on eco-tourism sites during international travel bans. Human activities are major drivers of fish density and species richness spatially across the lagoon of Bora-Bora but also temporally across pandemic-related restrictions, with dynamic responses to different restrictions. These results highlight the opportunity provided by pauses in human activities to assess their impact on the environment and confirm the need for sustainable lagoon management in Bora-Bora and similar coral reef settings affected by tourism and boat traffic.