75% of the corals worldwide are threatened by climate change and pollution. It is not the case in the Gambier where corals have proved exceptionally resilient. In1974, an inventory undertaken by the French biologist Jean-Pierre Chevalier revealed the existence of nearly 60 different type of corals in the archipelago. In July 2011, another exploration led by 5 international scientists, discovered a new species baptized Echninophyllia tarae