REEF FISH DIVERSITY

Diversity and community assembly in Caribbean reef fish

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Recent global recognition of the serious and immediate threats facing marine ecosystems has led to concerns regarding the loss of biodiversity within these systems. These concerns have highlighted the need for research to understand the driving forces behind current patterns of marine diversity. This information is vital in order to develop science-based strategies to maintain these ecosystems and their biodiversity. Unfortunately, little is known about how natural diversity varies within the marine environment, due to logistical constraints and traditional unfamiliarity with this environment. Therefore it is imperative that opportunities to address this issue are fully exploited. The applicant has identified a unique opportunity to understand how marine biodiversity varies across large spatial scales in one of the most diverse and threatened ecosystems in the world, coral reefs. Using the world’s largest marine sightings database, this research will map species richness (i.e. total number of species present) for coral reef fish communities across the Caribbean and Tropical Western Atlantic. This work will also map two other key measures of biological diversity, functional and phylogenetic diversity, as well as testing whether these measures are closely related, as is often assumed. A wide variety of environmental data is also available for the region, including climate and anthropogenic data, and these will be thoroughly tested for associations with reef fish diversity. Furthermore, cutting edge β diversity and community assembly analysis will be performed in order to understand the processes that have created the patterns we see today in these reef fish assemblages. Reef fish are considered to be useful indicators of overall patterns in coral reef biodiversity and the proposed research will produce a truly comprehensive analysis of this important and threatened ecosystem, to a level well beyond any that has been performed previously for marine systems.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

The biodiversity of marine ecosystems is under threat, particularly in coral reefs. An EU-funded initiative addressed the problem by investigating the factors influencing the variety of reef-dwelling fish in the Caribbean.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Analysis of geographical patterns in biodiversity helps researchers to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape life on Earth. This information is also crucial for prioritising conservation activities and strategies.

Scientific knowledge of how natural diversity of species varies within the marine environment was previously limited. This is due to the inherent logistical constraints and difficulties involved in working in an unfamiliar environment. There was, therefore, a clear need for this challenge to be addressed.

The 'Diversity and community assembly in Caribbean reef fish' (REEF FISH DIVERSITY) project investigated biodiversity in coral reef in the tropical western Atlantic. The aim was to determine how marine biodiversity varies across large areas of coral reefs, one of the most diverse and threatened ecosystems in the world.

Researchers used the world's largest marine sightings database to map species richness (i.e. total number of species present) for coral reef fish communities across the Caribbean and tropical western Atlantic. Two key measures of biological diversity were also measured: functional and phylogenetic diversity.

Functional diversity refers to those elements that influence how the ecosystem operates, which together with species richness affects the biogeochemical processes of ecosystems. Phylogenetic diversity is concerned with the evolutionary development of organisms.

Environmental data, including climate data and information on human activities, were examined and tested in detail for links to reef fish diversity. In addition, cutting-edge diversity and assembly analysis was carried out. The purpose was to gain a clearer understanding of the processes behind the patterns identified in assemblages of these reef fish.

Reef fish provide useful indicators of overall patterns in coral reef biodiversity. Therefore, REEF FISH DIVERSITY conducted a truly comprehensive analysis of coral reefs to a level far above that previously applied to marine ecosystems.

The project outcomes will play a vital role in improving scientists' understanding of how natural diversity varies within the marine environment. Data from the project will help scientists and policymakers to develop strategies for maintaining coral reef ecosystems and the biodiversity that they support.