Non-Random Variability in Functional Composition of Coral Reef Fish Communities along an Environmental Gradient.

ABSTRACT: Changes in the coral reef complex can affect predator-prey relationships, resource availability and niche utilisation in the associated fish community, which may be reflected in decreased stability of the functional traits present in a community. This is because particular traits may be favoured by a changing environment, or by habitat degradation. Furthermore, other traits can be selected against because degradation can relax the association between fishes and benthic habitat. We characterised six important ecological traits for fish species occurring at seven sites across a disturbed coral reef archipelago in Indonesia, where reefs have been exposed to eutrophication and destructive fishing practices for decades. Functional diversity was assessed using two complementary indices (FRic and

SUBMITTER: Plass-Johnson JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4839599 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature