Confronting the Changing Diversity Patterns of Coral Reefs

珊瑚礁生态系统正在发生变化。越来越频繁和严重的干扰，以及人类互动的升级，正在改变许多热带珊瑚礁。与此同时，随着热带物种侵占温带岩礁环境，物种正以惊人的速度向更高纬度扩展它们的活动范围。尽管这些关键生态系统的组织发生了这些变化，但我们仍然依赖于在更稳定的条件下发展起来的关于多样性模式的经典生态学理论。这些理论侧重于生物物理过程，但极端环境(如热浪)和社会因素(如距市场的距离)已开始主导世界许多海岸线上的生态群落。该项目将测试沿海珊瑚礁生态系统的纬度多样性梯度是否正在发生变化，这对生态和保护有重大影响。传统的生态理论将面对当代的多样性格局，新的多样性格局理论将被发展，纳入社会和环境变量。通过使用多学科方法解决这一主题，该项目旨在更好地捕捉当代珊瑚礁的生态组织。博士学位将提供独立思维、实地技术、统计建模、社会生态系统思维和科学写作方面的培训。在英国兰开斯特大学和班戈大学以及澳大利亚詹姆斯·库克大学的监督和项目支持下，该项目为珊瑚礁科学研究和培训提供了独特的机会

Coral reef ecosystems are in a state of change. Increasingly frequent and severe disturbances, and escalation of human interactions, are transforming many tropical coral reefs. At the same time, species are extending their ranges toward higher latitudes at remarkable pace, with tropical species encroaching temperate rocky reef environments. Despite these changes to the organisation of these critical ecosystems, we still rely on classic ecological theories of diversity patterns that were developed in more stable conditions. These theories focus on biophysical processes, yet environmental extremes (e.g. heat waves) and social factors (e.g. distance to markets) have come to dominate ecological communities on many of the world's coastlines. This project will test if latitudinal diversity gradients are changing on coastal reef ecosystems, with major implications for ecology and conservation. Classic ecological theories will be confronted with contemporary diversity patterns, and new theories of diversity patterns will be developed that incorporate social and environmental variables. By tackling the topic using a multidisciplinary approach, the project aims to better capture ecological organisation on contemporary coral reefs. The PhD will provide training in independent thinking, field techniques, statistical modelling, social-ecological systems thinking, and scientific writing. With supervisory and project support at Lancaster University and Bangor University, UK, and James Cook University, Australia, the project offers unique opportunities for research and training in coral reef science