Water temperature in Tahiti varied between 25.5 °C in August 2011
and 28.5 °C inMarch 2012 (Fig. 2a). Seasons weremore pronounced in
Mangareva with temperatures below 23 °C in July/August and up to
29.5 °C in March. For both sites, lower temperatures are recorded
between June and November, corresponding to the austral winter
under tropical latitude. Total Chl-a concentration in Tahiti varied
between 0.3 μg l−1 and 1 μg·l−1 except in January 2012 when a peak
was recorded (1.8 μg l−1) (Fig. 2b). The mean concentration of total
Chl-a for the entire period was 0.7 μg l−1. In Mangareva, Chl-a concentration
was about 0.8 μg l−1 during the 2 surveys (May and November
2012).