GEMINI

The major reef-building coral genus Acropora has never been recorded, living or fossil, from the Marquesas Islands in the central Pacific Ocean, which are characterized by limited modern reef formations. During the "Musorstom 9" cruise in 1997, investigations of marine platforms representing drowned reef systems revealed for the first time the presence of two Acropora species as fossils at seven Marquesas islands. The predominant species was Acropora valida, which was widespread in the archipelago and dated between 7.4 and 48.6 ka, providing evidence of an earlier Pacific distribution pattern broader than previously observed. It is proposed that disappearance of Acropora after 7.4 ka was linked to climatic events probably ENSO events controlling the distribution of corals and coral reefs in the eastern Pacific without excluding alternatively the effects of an increase in sea-level rise.

MUSORSTOM 9

PAPUA NIUGINI

AZTEQUE

The exploratory bottorn trawling survey HALIPRO 2 was carried out from 4 to 28 November 1996 on board the New Zealand research vessel Tangaroa of NIWA (National Institut ofWater and Atrnospheric Research Ltd). It was aimed at identification of deep fishery resources over the Norfolk Ridge and the southern part of the Loyalty Ridge. This zone, the area of which is 73000 square km, was previously rnapped during the seabed rnapping survey ZoNéCo 1. A trawl similar to the one used by the New Zealand commercial deep bottom fishing boats was used. Amongst 35 persons on board, 17 were scientists from different countries with different fields of research. A total of 3755 nautical miles were covered and 106 hauls were made. The environment was studied through temperature and salinity profils down to 1500 m and CUITent records down to 300 ffi. The presence of alfonsino (Beryx splerulens) was confirmed over the summits of the seamounts where this species was exploited by bottom longlining from 1988 to 1991. Hauls made over slopes and plains did not allow the catch of any specimen of orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus). Hard and rough bottoms on the summits and flanks of the seamounts make awkward the use of bottom trawls. HALIPRO 2 showed the high species diversity of the fauna (275 species of fish belonging to 101 families). In particular, 42 different species of shark and ray were collected of which 40% are new to science. Many samples were collected for further analysis. This survey will no doubt remain a perfect exemple of a fruitful collaboration with New Zealand.

HALIPRO 2

VOLSMAR

The bathyal zone (200-950m) was explored with the N.O CORIOLIS off the Chesterfield Island during October 1986. during this cruise, 141 samples were taken by dredges or trawl nets. This report presents maps ans stations lists along with notes on the morphology of the explored bottom and the benthic fauna.

MUSORSTOM 5

From the 26th of October to the lSt of November 1986, the R.V. "CORIOLIS' completed a dredging and trawling survey on the seamounts located on the Norfolk Ridge. The bathyal benthos was abundant and diversified. Several specimens of a Crinoid belonging to a family which was supposed to be extinct since the Jurassic were collected. At depths between 280 and 600 m these seamounts show flat tops the ichtyofauna of which is rich . Trawl hauls showed their fisheries potential as several high valued commercial species were caught e.g. Etelk comscans, Apsilus sp, , Pentaceros japonhi$, P. richardson< (armorhead) and Beryx sphmdens (alfonsin).

BIOCAL, CHALCAL 1, CHALCAL 2

MUSORSTOM 6

This work is a summary of what is known on lobster living in New Caledonia. After general informations about the biology and taxonomy, with keys, each species is described. Several large species of lobsters are mentionned for the first time in New Caledonia : Palinurellus wieneckii, Palinustus unicornutus, Puerulus angulatus, Linuparus sordidus, Justitia chani, J. japonica, Ibacus brucei, Thaumastocheles japonicus. A bibliographic analysis of the Indo-Pacific lobster fisheries, compare the New Caledonia to other Pacific island countries.

BERYX 11, BIOCAL, HALIPRO 1, MUSORSTOM 6

The MUSORSTOM 9 cruise was carried out in the Marquesas Archipelago from 18 August to 11 September 1997. 168 samples by dredging and trawling were made in the upper-bathyal zone and in the circalittoral depths, on the slope ofthe islands and on the top of the Dumont d'Urville Seamount. A terrace with a gentle slope is surrounding each island. Deeper than 100 meters the slope is very steep with from time to time terraces between 400 and 600 meters deep. The benthic fauna of this remote archipelago isolated in the Central Pacific is remarkably poor in all the groups.

MUSORSTOM 9