Published May 24, 2019 | Version v1
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Demographic dynamics of the smallest marine vertebrates fuel coral-reef ecosystem functioning

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Simon Fraser University
  • 2. University of Washington
  • 3. University of New England
  • 4. University of Perpignan
  • 5. James Cook University
  • 6. Smithsonian Institution

Description

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.

Notes

Supplementary Raw Data and Code for Brandl et al. 2019

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Brandletal_SupplementaryRawDataandCode.zip

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Additional details

Related works

Is cited by
10.1126/science.aav3384 (DOI)

Funding

Australian Research Council
ARC Centres of Excellence - Grant ID: CE140100020 CE140100020