Rising to the challenge of sustaining coral reef resilience

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2010, Volume and Issue: 25(11), P. 633 - 642

Published: Aug. 27, 2010

Language: Английский

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The tropicalization of temperate marine ecosystems: climate-mediated changes in herbivory and community phase shifts

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 281(1789), P. 20140846 - 20140846

Published: July 9, 2014

Climate-driven changes in biotic interactions can profoundly alter ecological communities, particularly when they impact foundation species. In marine systems, herbivory and the consequent loss of dominant habitat forming species result dramatic community phase shifts, such as from coral to macroalgal dominance tropical fish decreases, algal forests ‘barrens’ temperate urchin grazing increases. Here, we propose a novel phase-shift away caused by herbivores extending their range into regions. We argue that this shift is facilitated poleward-flowing boundary currents are creating ocean warming hotspots around globe, enabling expansion increasing rates areas. Overgrazing macroalgae herbivorous fishes has already occurred Japan Mediterranean. Emerging evidence suggests similar phenomena occurring other regions, with occurrence on reefs.

Language: Английский

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The importance of structural complexity in coral reef ecosystems

Coral Reefs, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 32(2), P. 315 - 326

Published: Nov. 25, 2012

Language: Английский

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Predicting climate-driven regime shifts versus rebound potential in coral reefs

Nature, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 518(7537), P. 94 - 97

Published: Jan. 13, 2015

Language: Английский

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Functional over-redundancy and high functional vulnerability in global fish faunas on tropical reefs

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 111(38), P. 13757 - 13762

Published: Sept. 15, 2014

Significance Our results indicate that, even in highly diverse systems like coral reefs, we can no longer assume that the erosion of species diversity be discounted by high probability functional redundancy: i.e., several support same function. Indeed, show fish tend to disproportionately pack into a few particular functions while leaving many vulnerable, they are supported just one species. Even Coral Triangle, which has concentration tropical-reef fishes, may experience loss following fisheries pressure and local extirpation. suggest promised benefits insurance from not as strong once hoped.

Language: Английский

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Global disparity in the resilience of coral reefs

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 27(7), P. 404 - 413

Published: May 31, 2012

Language: Английский

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Global patterns in the impact of marine herbivores on benthic primary producers

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 15(8), P. 912 - 922

Published: May 29, 2012

Abstract Despite the importance of consumers in structuring communities, and widespread assumption that consumption is strongest at low latitudes, empirical tests for global scale patterns magnitude consumer impacts are limited. In marine systems, long tradition experimentally excluding herbivores their natural environments allows to be quantified on scales using consistent methodology. We present a quantitative synthesis 613 herbivore exclusion experiments test influence traits, producer traits environment strength benthic producers. Across globe, profoundly reduced abundance (by 68% average), with effects rocky intertidal habitats weakest dominated by vascular plants. Unexpectedly, we found little or no latitude mean annual water temperature. Instead, differed most consistently among taxonomic morphological groups. Our results show grazing plant better predicted than large‐scale variation habitat temperature, there previously unrecognised degree phylogenetic conservatism susceptibility consumption.

Language: Английский

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Chemically rich seaweeds poison corals when not controlled by herbivores

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2010, Volume and Issue: 107(21), P. 9683 - 9688

Published: May 10, 2010

Coral reefs are in dramatic global decline, with seaweeds commonly replacing corals. It is unclear, however, whether harm corals directly or colonize opportunistically following their decline and then suppress coral recruitment. In the Caribbean tropical Pacific, we show that, when protected from herbivores, ~40 to 70% of common cause bleaching death tissue direct contact. For that harmed tissues, lipid-soluble extracts also produced rapid bleaching. mortality was limited areas contact extracts. These patterns suggest allelopathic seaweed-coral interactions can be important on lacking herbivore control seaweeds, these involve metabolites transferred via Seaweeds were rapidly consumed placed a Pacific reef fishing but left intact at slower rates an adjacent fished reef, indicating herbivory will lower frequency damage if retain food webs. With continued removal herbivores reefs, becoming more common. This occurrence lead increasing contacts, suppression remaining corals, continuing

Language: Английский

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Human activity selectively impacts the ecosystem roles of parrotfishes on coral reefs

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2011, Volume and Issue: 279(1733), P. 1621 - 1629

Published: Nov. 16, 2011

Around the globe, coral reefs and other marine ecosystems are increasingly overfished. Conventionally, studies of fishing impacts have focused on population size dynamics targeted stocks rather than broader ecosystem-wide effects harvesting. Using parrotfishes as an example, we show how reef fish populations respond to escalating pressure across Indian Pacific Oceans. Based these abundance data, infer potential impact four key functional roles performed by parrotfishes. Rates bioerosion predation highly sensitive human activity, whereas grazing sediment removal resilient fishing. Our results offer new insights into vulnerability resilience ever-growing footprint. The depletion fishes causes differential decline ecosystem functions, radically changing setting stage for future ecological surprises.

Language: Английский

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Resilience to Climate Change in Coastal Marine Ecosystems

Annual Review of Marine Science, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 5(1), P. 371 - 392

Published: Aug. 2, 2012

Ecological resilience to climate change is a combination of resistance increasingly frequent and severe disturbances, capacity for recovery self-organization, ability adapt new conditions. Here, we focus on three broad categories ecological properties that underlie resilience: diversity, connectivity, adaptive capacity. Diversity increases the variety responses disturbance likelihood species can compensate one another. Connectivity among species, populations, ecosystems enhances by providing sources propagules, nutrients, biological legacies. Adaptive includes phenotypic plasticity, range shifts, microevolution. We discuss empirical evidence how these evolutionary mechanisms contribute coastal marine following change–related resource managers apply this information sustain systems ecosystem services they provide.

Language: Английский

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