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Asynchronous population trends stabilize mesopredatory coral reef fish communities in the face of global change.
  • +12
  • Rucha Karkarey,
  • Eva Maire,
  • Nicholas Graham,
  • Valeriano Parravicini,
  • Simon Brandl,
  • Jeremy Carlot,
  • Mehdi Adjeroud,
  • Rohan Arthur,
  • Teresa Alcoverro,
  • Shaun Wilson,
  • Jordan Goetze,
  • Thomas Holmes,
  • Julien Wickel,
  • Dan Exton,
  • Sally Keith
Rucha Karkarey
Lancaster University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Eva Maire
Lancaster University
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Nicholas Graham
Lancaster University
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Valeriano Parravicini
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etides
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Simon Brandl
The University of Texas at Austin
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Jeremy Carlot
Sorbonne Universite
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Mehdi Adjeroud
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
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Rohan Arthur
Nature Conservation Foundation
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Teresa Alcoverro
Spanish Institution for Scientific Research
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Shaun Wilson
Australian Institute of Marine Science
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Jordan Goetze
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
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Thomas Holmes
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
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Julien Wickel
MAREX Ltd
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Dan Exton
Operation Wallacea Ltd
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Sally Keith
Lancaster University
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Abstract

Biodiversity drives stability in communities, allowing it to withstand environmental fluctuations without changes in aggregate properties like total abundance or biomass. We investigated biodiversity’s influence on two crucial population-level mechanisms governing abundance stability in mesopredatory coral reef fishes: ‘community asynchrony,’ where species populations fluctuate inversely over time, and ‘dominant stability,’ where highly abundant species with significant community contributions display minimal population fluctuations. Analyzing data from 83 reef fish communities across the Indian and Pacific Oceans over a decade, we found that community asynchrony, rather than dominant stability, primarily predicts community stability. Functional diversity, not taxonomic diversity, regulates this stability, emphasizing the role of niche differences in stabilizing communities. We highlight that community attributes that promote asynchronous population fluctuations, enhancing response diversity and tempering strong trophic interactions are vital for stabilizing mesopredatory reef fish communities in the face of global change.
23 Oct 2023Submitted to Ecology Letters
25 Oct 2023Submission Checks Completed
25 Oct 2023Assigned to Editor
25 Oct 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
14 Nov 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned