ORCID
- Lee, Yeaw Chu: 0000-0002-0463-5586
Abstract
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.
DOI
10.1098/rspb.2021.1260
Publication Date
2021-08-11
Publication Title
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Volume
288
Issue
1956
First Page
20211260
Last Page
20211260
ISSN
0962-8452
Embargo Period
2021-08-12
Organisational Unit
School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
Recommended Citation
Hennige, S. J., Larsson, A., Orejas, C., Gori, A., De, C., Lee, Y., Jimeno, G., Georgoulas, K., Kamenos, N., & Roberts, J. (2021) 'Using the Goldilocks Principle to model coral ecosystem engineering', Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288(1956), pp. 20211260-20211260. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1260
