Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/27075
Title: | Demographic dynamics of the smallest marine vertebrates fuel coral-reef ecosystem functioning | Contributor(s): | Brandl, Simon J (author); Tornabene, Luke (author); Casey, Jordan M (author); Morais, Renato A (author); Cote, Isabelle M (author); Baldwin, Carole C (author); Parravicini, Valeriano (author); Schiettekatte, Nina M D (author); Bellwood, David R (author); Goatley, Christopher H R (author) | Publication Date: | 2019 | Early Online Version: | 2019-05-23 | DOI: | 10.1126/science.aav3384 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/27075 | Abstract: | How coral reefs survive as oases of life in low-productivity oceans has puzzled scientists for centuries. The answer may lie in internal nutrient cycling and/or input from the pelagic zone. Integrating meta-analysis, field data, and population modelling, we show that the ocean's smallest vertebrates, cryptobenthic reef fishes, promote internal reef-fish biomass production through exceptional larval supply from the pelagic environment. Specifically, cryptobenthics account for two-thirds of reef-fish larvae in the near-reef pelagic zone, despite limited adult reproductive outputs. This overwhelming abundance of cryptobenthic larvae fuels reef trophodynamics via rapid growth and extreme mortality, producing almost 60% of consumed reef fish biomass. While cryptobenthics are commonly overlooked, their unique demographic dynamics may make them a cornerstone of ecosystem functioning on modern coral reefs. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Science, 364(6446), p. 1189-1192 | Publisher: | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | Place of Publication: | United States of America | ISSN: | 1095-9203 0036-8075 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 050102 Ecosystem Function 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: | 410203 Ecosystem function 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 960808 Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: | 180504 Marine biodiversity | Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
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Appears in Collections: | Journal Article School of Environmental and Rural Science |
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