Image archives of sessile organisms associated with the publication titled ‘Beta diversity and rarity assessment of sessile cryptobenthic communities across depth and islands can inform coral reef conservation’ in Diversity and Distribution

Results: Sessile cryptobenthic communities from Rodrigues and mesophotic habitats were characterized by unique MSP composition, higher spatial heterogeneity, and elevated rarity indices. A strong species turnover was observed between shallow and mesophotic habitats, and taxonomic overlap assessment revealed that two-thirds of the MSPs were habitat-exclusive, while only one-quarter were common and shared across habitats.

Main conclusions: We highlight the uniqueness and rarity of sessile cryptobenthic communities in mesophotic habitats and in shallow habitats on the southwest coast of Reunion and in Rodrigues, and the need to consider broad geographical coverage in conservation strategies to account for their spatial heterogeneity and uniqueness. The low proportion of shallow-water MSPs found in deeper habitats argues against the deep reef refugia hypothesis for sessile cryptobenthic communities in Reunion.

Each habitat holds a distinct conservation value that should be recognized independently. Project leaders: J. Henrich Bruggemann, Mireille M. M. Guillaume Data collectors: Baptiste Frattini, J. Henrich Bruggemann, Sophie Bureau, Marion Couëdel, Fleur Bruggemann, Jean-Lindsay Azie, Mireille M. M. Guillaume Taxonomists: Jean-Loup d’Hondt (Bryozoa) Françoise Monniot (Chordata – Ascidiacea) David Ory (Cnidaria – Hydrozoa) Annachiara Bartolini-Mariotti (Foraminifera) Jean Vacelet (Porifera)