Scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals is species specific
<p>In their recent paper, Muir et al. (<em>Science</em>, 2015, <strong>348</strong>, 1135-1138) demonstrate that the maximum depths of staghorn coral assemblages are shallower at higher latitudes, a trend that correlates with winter light levels. Based on these findings...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Pensoft Publishers
2016-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers of Biogeography |
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| Online Access: | http://escholarship.org/uc/item/81n5f1n4 |
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| _version_ | 1849412280677040128 |
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| author | Joshua Madin Andrew Allen Andrew Baird John Pandolfi Brigitte Sommer |
| author_facet | Joshua Madin Andrew Allen Andrew Baird John Pandolfi Brigitte Sommer |
| author_sort | Joshua Madin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>In their recent paper, Muir et al. (<em>Science</em>, 2015, <strong>348</strong>, 1135-1138) demonstrate that the maximum depths of staghorn coral assemblages are shallower at higher latitudes, a trend that correlates with winter light levels. Based on these findings, the authors hypothesize that light availability limits the current latitudinal extent of the group and will constrain future range expansion. Here we reanalyze their data and show that depth-latitude relationships vary substantially among species, and that most species show either no significant pattern or the opposite pattern. In so doing, our reanalysis highlights a common misinterpretation of mixed-effects models: the fallacy of the average. Our findings are also consistent with fossil and contemporary observations of coral range-shifts. The factors that limit the current range extent of corals remain elusive, but they are likely species-specific and will require much further research to elucidate.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-63a5d9dc63de4d22b7f2c61d4e31c2f2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1948-6596 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-04-01 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers of Biogeography |
| spelling | doaj-art-63a5d9dc63de4d22b7f2c61d4e31c2f22025-08-20T03:34:29ZengPensoft PublishersFrontiers of Biogeography1948-65962016-04-0181ark:13030/qt81n5f1n4Scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals is species specificJoshua Madin0Andrew Allen1Andrew Baird2John Pandolfi3Brigitte Sommer4Macquarie UniversityMacquarie UniversityJames Cook UniversityUniversity of QueenslandUniversity of Queensland<p>In their recent paper, Muir et al. (<em>Science</em>, 2015, <strong>348</strong>, 1135-1138) demonstrate that the maximum depths of staghorn coral assemblages are shallower at higher latitudes, a trend that correlates with winter light levels. Based on these findings, the authors hypothesize that light availability limits the current latitudinal extent of the group and will constrain future range expansion. Here we reanalyze their data and show that depth-latitude relationships vary substantially among species, and that most species show either no significant pattern or the opposite pattern. In so doing, our reanalysis highlights a common misinterpretation of mixed-effects models: the fallacy of the average. Our findings are also consistent with fossil and contemporary observations of coral range-shifts. The factors that limit the current range extent of corals remain elusive, but they are likely species-specific and will require much further research to elucidate.</p>http://escholarship.org/uc/item/81n5f1n4CoralsRange shiftsFallacy of the averagelightspecies |
| spellingShingle | Joshua Madin Andrew Allen Andrew Baird John Pandolfi Brigitte Sommer Scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals is species specific Frontiers of Biogeography Corals Range shifts Fallacy of the average light species |
| title | Scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals is species specific |
| title_full | Scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals is species specific |
| title_fullStr | Scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals is species specific |
| title_full_unstemmed | Scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals is species specific |
| title_short | Scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals is species specific |
| title_sort | scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals is species specific |
| topic | Corals Range shifts Fallacy of the average light species |
| url | http://escholarship.org/uc/item/81n5f1n4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joshuamadin scopeforlatitudinalextensionofreefcoralsisspeciesspecific AT andrewallen scopeforlatitudinalextensionofreefcoralsisspeciesspecific AT andrewbaird scopeforlatitudinalextensionofreefcoralsisspeciesspecific AT johnpandolfi scopeforlatitudinalextensionofreefcoralsisspeciesspecific AT brigittesommer scopeforlatitudinalextensionofreefcoralsisspeciesspecific |