Open AccessUsing the Goldilocks Principle to model coral ecosystem engineering
Author(s) -
Sebastian Hennige,
Ann I. Larsson,
Covadonga Orejas,
Andrea Gori,
Laurence H. De Clippele,
Yeaw Chu Lee,
Guillermo Jimeno,
Κωνσταντίνος Γεωργούλας,
Nicholas A. Kamenos,
J. Murray Roberts
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings - royal society. biological sciences/proceedings - royal society. biological sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.342
H-Index - 253
eISSN - 1471-2954
pISSN - 0962-8452
DOI - 10.1098/rspb.2021.1260
Subject(s) - goldilocks principle , coral reef , reef , coral , ecosystem , biodiversity , ecology , environmental science , environmental resource management , computer science , oceanography , geology , biology , astrobiology
The occurrence and proliferation of reef-forming corals is of vast importance in terms of the biodiversity they support and the ecosystem services they provide. The complex three-dimensional structures engineered by corals are comprised of both live and dead coral, and the function, growth and stability of these systems will depend on the ratio of both. To model how the ratio of live : dead coral may change, the ‘Goldilocks Principle’ can be used, where organisms will only flourish if conditions are ‘just right’. With data from particle imaging velocimetry and numerical smooth particle hydrodynamic modelling with two simple rules, we demonstrate how this principle can be applied to a model reef system, and how corals are effectively optimizing their own local flow requirements through habitat engineering. Building on advances here, these approaches can be used in conjunction with numerical modelling to investigate the growth and mortality of biodiversity supporting framework in present-day and future coral reef structures.