Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
PulseExploreClubsResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeClubsExplore
February 12, 2026NatureOpen Access

Fossil isotope evidence for trophic simplification on modern Caribbean reefs

View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Authors

JLJessica Lueders-DumontAOAaron O’DeaEDErin Dillon

Discussion

Loading...

Member takes

Overview

This analysis shows trophic simplification in Caribbean reefs, indicating changes in coral and fish dynamics over time.

Key Points

  • The aim is to understand how human-driven changes have affected the trophic structure of Caribbean reefs.
  • Analyzed fossil-bound nitrogen isotopes in fish otoliths and corals from modern and prehistoric reefs.
  • Compared trophic positions of low to middle trophic level fishes from 7,000-year-old samples.
  • Assessed dietary variation across different trophic groups.
  • Modern food chains are 60–70% shorter than prehistoric ones in both Panama and the Dominican Republic.
  • Low-trophic-level fishes show increased or stable trophic levels, while high-trophic-level fishes have declined.
  • Observed a 20–70% reduction in dietary variation in modern reefs compared to prehistoric reefs.

Cite This Study

Lueders-Dumont et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/698d6f0d5be6419ac0d55113https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10077-z
View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Fossil otoliths reveal changing predator-prey dynamics and partial resilience in reef fishes2024 · 1 citations
  2. 2Fossil otolith assemblages reveal millennial-scale changes in reef fish biomass and trophic structure across the Isthmus of Panama2026 · 1 citations
  3. 3Shortened food chain length in a fished versus unfished coral reef2024 · 3 citations
  4. 4Trophic niches of estuarine fish and evidence of mangrove-fishery causal links in the Southern Caribbean (Colombia)2024
  5. 5The rise of dietary diversity in coral reef fishes2024 · 4 citations