Jennifer Appoo
@jenniferappoo.bsky.social
132 followers 79 following 5 posts
Ecologist. Interests in island and marine ecosystems, and biodiversity conservation in the tropics.
Ecologist. Interests in island and marine ecosystems, and biodiversity conservation in the tropics.
![Cross-system connections can mediate the functioning of coral reefs via bottom-up control of productivity flowing through herbivorous trophic pathways. (a) Highly productive turf communities represent major primary producers on coral reefs (photograph: SB Tebbett). (b) Herbivorous fishes such as the turf cropping surgeonfish, Acanthurus lineatus, rely on the primary production of turfs to meet their nutritional needs (photograph: SB Tebbett). (c) A conceptual overview of the results of a new study in PLOS Biology by Benkwitt and colleagues [2] which quantified key ecosystem functions and demonstrated that seabird-derived nutrient supply can underpin strong cross-system connections between island ecosystems and adjacent coral reefs. Benkwitt and colleagues revealed that higher inputs of seabird nutrients fueled turf growth and indirectly enhanced the productivity of herbivorous fishes. (d) An alternative scenario where terrestrial sediment inputs underpin strong cross-system connections. However, in this case, sediments can limit turf growth and constrain herbivorous fish productivity [1,9]. These different scenarios underscore the importance of using a functional approach to quantify the strength of cross-system connections if we are to comprehensively understand how changing environmental conditions can have flow-on consequences for recipient ecosystems.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5522ztebtekoor5efelihqhb/bafkreic7hwygcc73fcekevrw7ozdlk5t5zkrouegj53zktmeij577jje5e)
