Coral settlement and recruitment are negatively related to reef fish trait diversity

Chow, CFY; Bolton, C; Boutros, N; Brambilla, V; Fontoura, L; Hoey, AS; Madin, JS; Pizarro, O; Torres-Pulliza, D; Woods, RM; Zawada, KJA; Barbosa, M; Dornelas, M

Coral settlement and recruitment are negatively related to reef fish trait diversity

Chow, CFY Bolton, C Boutros, N Brambilla, V Fontoura, L Hoey, AS Madin, JS Pizarro, O Torres-Pulliza, D Woods, RM Zawada, KJA Barbosa, M Dornelas, M

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Publisher:: SPRINGER
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Coral Reefs, 2023, 42, (2), pp. 519-533
Issue Date:: 2023-04-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Chow, CFY
dc.contributor.author	Bolton, C
dc.contributor.author	Boutros, N
dc.contributor.author	Brambilla, V
dc.contributor.author	Fontoura, L
dc.contributor.author	Hoey, AS
dc.contributor.author	Madin, JS
dc.contributor.author	Pizarro, O
dc.contributor.author	Torres-Pulliza, D
dc.contributor.author	Woods, RM
dc.contributor.author	Zawada, KJA
dc.contributor.author	Barbosa, M
dc.contributor.author	Dornelas, M
dc.date.accessioned	2024-04-11T00:59:03Z
dc.date.available	2024-04-11T00:59:03Z
dc.date.issued	2023-04-01
dc.identifier.citation	Coral Reefs, 2023, 42, (2), pp. 519-533
dc.identifier.issn	0722-4028
dc.identifier.issn	1432-0975
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/177702
dc.description.abstract	The process of coral recruitment is crucial to the functioning of coral reef ecosystems and recovery of coral assemblages following disturbances. Fishes can be key mediators of this process by removing benthic competitors like algae, but their foraging impacts are capable of being facilitative or harmful to coral recruits depending on species traits. Reef fish assemblages are highly diverse in foraging strategies, and the relationship between this diversity with coral settlement and recruitment success remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate how foraging trait diversity of reef fish assemblages covaries with coral settlement and recruitment success across multiple sites at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Using a multi-model inference approach incorporating six metrics of fish assemblage foraging diversity (foraging rates, trait richness, trait evenness, trait divergence, herbivore abundance, and sessile invertivore abundance), we found that herbivore abundance was positively related to both coral settlement and recruitment success. However, the correlation with herbivore abundance was not as strong in comparison with foraging trait diversity metrics. Coral settlement and recruitment exhibited a negative relationship with foraging trait diversity, especially with trait divergence and richness in settlement. Our findings provide further evidence that fish play a role in making benthic habitats more conducive for coral settlement and recruitment. Because of their ability to shape the reef benthos, the variation of fish biodiversity is likely to contribute to spatially uneven patterns of coral recruitment and reef recovery.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	SPRINGER
dc.relation.ispartof	Coral Reefs
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s00338-023-02359-7
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	04 Earth Sciences, 05 Environmental Sciences, 06 Biological Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
dc.subject.classification	31 Biological sciences
dc.subject.classification	37 Earth sciences
dc.subject.classification	41 Environmental sciences
dc.title	Coral settlement and recruitment are negatively related to reef fish trait diversity
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	42
utslib.for	04 Earth Sciences
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Provost
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Provost/TD School
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2024-04-11T00:59:02Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	42
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

The process of coral recruitment is crucial to the functioning of coral reef ecosystems and recovery of coral assemblages following disturbances. Fishes can be key mediators of this process by removing benthic competitors like algae, but their foraging impacts are capable of being facilitative or harmful to coral recruits depending on species traits. Reef fish assemblages are highly diverse in foraging strategies, and the relationship between this diversity with coral settlement and recruitment success remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate how foraging trait diversity of reef fish assemblages covaries with coral settlement and recruitment success across multiple sites at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Using a multi-model inference approach incorporating six metrics of fish assemblage foraging diversity (foraging rates, trait richness, trait evenness, trait divergence, herbivore abundance, and sessile invertivore abundance), we found that herbivore abundance was positively related to both coral settlement and recruitment success. However, the correlation with herbivore abundance was not as strong in comparison with foraging trait diversity metrics. Coral settlement and recruitment exhibited a negative relationship with foraging trait diversity, especially with trait divergence and richness in settlement. Our findings provide further evidence that fish play a role in making benthic habitats more conducive for coral settlement and recruitment. Because of their ability to shape the reef benthos, the variation of fish biodiversity is likely to contribute to spatially uneven patterns of coral recruitment and reef recovery.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/177702