Asynchronous population trends stabilize mesopredatory coral reef fish communities in the face of global change
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Biodiversity can underpin stability in communities, allowing them to withstand environmental fluctuations without changes in aggregate properties like total abundance or biomass. We investigated the influence of biodiversity on two crucial population-level mechanisms governing abundance stability in mesopredatory coral reef fishes: (i) ’community asynchrony’, where species populations fluctuate inversely over time, and (ii) ’species population stability’, where highly abundant species with significant community contributions display minimal population fluctuations. Analyzing temporal data from 81 reef fish communities across the Indian and Pacific Oceans over a decade, we found that community asynchrony, rather than species population stability, primarily predicts community stability. Functional diversity, not taxonomic diversity, characterised 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.
Source: Oikos
DOI: 10.1002/oik.11371
Institutions: Lancaster University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Ifremer, Université de Montpellier, Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université de Perpignan, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche, University of New Caledonia, University of Reunion Island, Écologie Marine Tropicale des Océans Pacifique et Indien, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Nature Conservation Foundation, Australian Institute of Marine Science, The University of Western Australia, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Oceans Institute, Curtin University, Operation Wallacea
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,640
OpenAlex ID: W4387935867