Fish Community Resource Utilization Reveals Benthic-Pelagic Trophic Coupling Along Depth Gradients in the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea.

ABSTRACT: Benthic-pelagic coupling is a key approach to studying the structure and energy dynamics of shallow marine food webs. The movement and foraging patterns of consumers are major drivers of nutrient and energy distribution in ecosystems and are critical for maintaining ecosystem stability. To better understand the energy coupling of consumers between coastal marine habitats, this study employed a Bayesian mixture model using SC and SI data. By classifying functional groups based on taxonomy, morphological traits, and feeding ecology similarities, we constructed a trophic network and analyzed the changes in fish feeding patterns and the dynamics of benthic-pelagic coupling across environmental gradients. The results show that the primary carbon sources in the Beibu Gulf are phytoplankton, part

SUBMITTER: Yang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11851788 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature