Accelerated modern human-induced species losses: entering the sixth mass extinction. Bridging food webs, ecosystem metabolism, and biogeochemistry using ecological stoichiometry theory. Our results reinforce the need for a nuanced, locally tailored approach to coral reef conservation that considers multiple ecological functions beyond the effect of standing stock biomass. In fact, half of the 1,110 species in our dataset are functionally dominant in at least one location. Furthermore, functions are locally dominated by few species, but the identity of dominant species substantially varies at the global scale. We show that functions exhibit critical trade-offs driven by varying community structures, such that no community can maximize all functions. Here we combine global coral reef fish community surveys and bioenergetic models to quantify five key ecosystem functions mediated by coral reef fishes. This lack of quantitative assessments of multiple process-based ecosystem functions hinders local and regional conservation efforts. Coral reefs are declining worldwide due to the pervasive effects of climate change and intensive fishing, and although research on coral reef ecosystem functioning has gained momentum, most studies rely on simplified proxies, such as fish biomass. Therefore, preserving ecosystem functioning is a critical challenge of the twenty-first century. Human impact increasingly alters global ecosystems, often reducing biodiversity and disrupting the provision of essential ecosystem services to humanity. Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 6, pages 701–708 ( 2022) Cite this article Biological trade-offs underpin coral reef ecosystem functioning
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