IMPACT OF HURRICANE FIRINGA ON FISH COMMUNITY STRUCTURE ON FRINGING REEFS OF REUNION ISLAND, S W INDIAN-OCEAN

The reef flats of Saint-Pierre and Saint-Leu (Reunion Island, Indian O cean) suffered badly from hurricane Firinga on 29 January 1989. The hi gh degree of silting due to increased run-off killed the coral colonie s. Fish communities were surveyed at four periods following the hurric ane (March and September 1989, March and September 1990). An increase in both species richness (31 to 47 spp. per census) and abundance (169 to 265 individuals per census) of fishes was observed with time, alon g with changes in their trophic structure. This positive succession ma y be linked to the disappearance of the silt layer from reef flats sin ce September 1989. Nevertheless, there were differences in fluctuation s and trophic structure of the fish community between back-, inner- an d outer-reef flats. Finally, differences in recovery between the two r eefs are related to the overall environmental degradation of the Islan d, chiefly by human perturbation, prior to the hurricane.