Distribution Shifts of <i>Acanthaster solaris</i> Under Climate Change and the Impact on Coral Reef Habitats.

ABSTRACT: Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster solaris) outbreaks pose a significant threat to coral reef ecosystems, with climate change potentially exacerbating their distribution and impact. However, there remains only a small number of predictive studies on how climate change drives changes in the distribution patterns of A. solaris, and relevant assessments of the impact of these changes on coral reef areas are lacking. To address this issue, this study investigated potential changes in the distribution of A. solaris under climate change and its impact on Acropora coral habitats. Using a novel two-step framework, we integrated both abiotic and biological (Acropora distribution) predictors into species distribution modeling to project future shifts in

SUBMITTER: Su S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11939250 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature