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Beyond Corals and Fish: The Effects of Climate Change on Noncoral Benthic Invertebrates of Tropical Reefs

Created 07/03/2026

Updated 07/03/2026

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Climate change is threatening tropical reefs across the world, with most scientists agreeing that the current changes in climate conditions are occurring at a much faster rate than in the past and are potentially beyond the capacity of reefs to adapt and recover. Current research in tropical ecosystems focuses largely on corals and fishes, although other benthic marine invertebrates provide crucial services to reef systems, with roles in nutrient cycling, water quality regulation, and herbivory. We review available information on the effects of environmental conditions associated with climate change on noncoral tropical benthic invertebrates, including inferences from modern and fossil records. Increasing sea surface temperatures may decrease survivorship and increase the developmental rate, as well as alter the timing of gonad development, spawning, and food availability.

Environmental changes associated with climate change are linked to larger ecological processes, including changes in larval dispersal and recruitment success, shifts in community structure and range extensions, and the establishment and spread of invasive species. Loss of some species will trigger economic losses and negative effects on ecosystem function. Our review is intended to create a framework with which to predict the vulnerability of benthic invertebrates to the stressors associated with climate change, as well as their adaptive capacity. We anticipate that this review will assist scientists, managers, and policy-makers to better develop and implement regional research and management strategies, based on observed and predicted changes in environmental conditions.

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Field Value
Title Beyond Corals and Fish: The Effects of Climate Change on Noncoral Benthic Invertebrates of Tropical Reefs
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/8eeb2dcd-f490-468a-8313-88987e2d87a5
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 22/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
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  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
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      ],
      [
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        -90.0
      ],
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      ],
      [
        -180.0,
        90.0
      ],
      [
        -180.0,
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      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Beyond Corals and Fish: The Effects of Climate Change on Noncoral Benthic Invertebrates of Tropical Reefs". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/beyond-corals-and-fish-the-effects-of-climate-change-on-noncoral-benthic-invertebrates-of-tropi7