The tropicalization of temperate marine ecosystems: Climate-mediated changes in herbivory and community phase shifts

Vergés, A; Steinberg, PD; Hay, ME; Poore, AGB; Campbell, AH; Ballesteros, E; Heck, KL; Booth, DJ; Coleman, MA; Feary, DA; Figueira, W; Langlois, T; Marzinelli, EM; Mizerek, T; Mumby, PJ; Nakamura, Y; Roughan, M; van Sebille, E; Gupta, AS; Smale, DA; Tomas, F; Wernberg, T; Wilson, SK

The tropicalization of temperate marine ecosystems: Climate-mediated changes in herbivory and community phase shifts

Vergés, A Steinberg, PD Hay, ME Poore, AGB Campbell, AH Ballesteros, E Heck, KL Booth, DJ

Coleman, MA Feary, DA Figueira, W Langlois, T Marzinelli, EM Mizerek, T Mumby, PJ Nakamura, Y Roughan, M van Sebille, E Gupta, AS Smale, DA Tomas, F Wernberg, T Wilson, SK

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2014, 281 (1789)
Issue Date:: 2014-07-09

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Vergés, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Steinberg, PD	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hay, ME	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Poore, AGB	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Campbell, AH	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Ballesteros, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Heck, KL	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Booth, DJ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8256-1412	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Coleman, MA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Feary, DA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Figueira, W	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Langlois, T	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Marzinelli, EM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Mizerek, T	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Mumby, PJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Nakamura, Y	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Roughan, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	van Sebille, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Gupta, AS	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Smale, DA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Tomas, F	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Wernberg, T	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Wilson, SK	en_US
dc.date.issued	2014-07-09	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2014, 281 (1789)	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0962-8452	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/41692
dc.description.abstract	Climate-driven changes in biotic interactions can profoundly alter ecological communities, particularly when they impact foundation species. In marine systems, changes in herbivory and the consequent loss of dominant habitat forming species can result in dramatic community phase shifts, such as from coral to macroalgal dominance when tropical fish herbivory decreases, and from algal forests to 'barrens' when temperate urchin grazing increases. Here, we propose a novel phase-shift away from macroalgal dominance caused by tropical herbivores extending their range into temperate regions. We argue that this phase shift is facilitated by poleward-flowing boundary currents that are creating ocean warming hotspots around the globe, enabling the range expansion of tropical species and increasing their grazing rates in temperate areas. Overgrazing of temperate macroalgae by tropical herbivorous fishes has already occurred in Japan and the Mediterranean. Emerging evidence suggests similar phenomena are occurring in other temperate regions, with increasing occurrence of tropical fishes on temperate reefs. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1098/rspb.2014.0846	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Animals	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Fishes	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Seaweed	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Ecosystem	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Biodiversity	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Models, Biological	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Climate Change	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Aquatic Organisms	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Herbivory	en_US
dc.title	The tropicalization of temperate marine ecosystems: Climate-mediated changes in herbivory and community phase shifts	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1789	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	281	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	1789	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	281	en_US

Abstract:

Climate-driven changes in biotic interactions can profoundly alter ecological communities, particularly when they impact foundation species. In marine systems, changes in herbivory and the consequent loss of dominant habitat forming species can result in dramatic community phase shifts, such as from coral to macroalgal dominance when tropical fish herbivory decreases, and from algal forests to 'barrens' when temperate urchin grazing increases. Here, we propose a novel phase-shift away from macroalgal dominance caused by tropical herbivores extending their range into temperate regions. We argue that this phase shift is facilitated by poleward-flowing boundary currents that are creating ocean warming hotspots around the globe, enabling the range expansion of tropical species and increasing their grazing rates in temperate areas. Overgrazing of temperate macroalgae by tropical herbivorous fishes has already occurred in Japan and the Mediterranean. Emerging evidence suggests similar phenomena are occurring in other temperate regions, with increasing occurrence of tropical fishes on temperate reefs. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/41692