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<p>Regime shifts often have profoundly negative ramifications, underscoring the need to better understand processes that influence their reversibility. We explored the interplay between trophic and competitive interactions in shaping resilience of seaweed states following coral-to-macroalgae shifts on tropical reefs. Herbivore feeding and competition assays indicated that interactions involving common seaweed species were consistent with the competition-palatability trade-off paradigm: the most consumed alga (<i>Amansia rhodantha</i>) ranked as best competitor, the least consumed (<i>Turbinaria ornata</i>) ranked as the worst, and a third (<i>Sargassum pacificum</i>) was intermediate in both aspects. A two-year experiment revealed that mixed-species seaweed assemblages became overgrown by <i>Amansia</i> when herbivores were excluded, whereas <i>Turbinaria</i> was the only seaweed that persisted under high herbivory. Additional experimentation showed that much less herbivory was needed to extirpate palatable seaweeds relative to unpalatable <i>Turbinaria</i>. This relationship between seaweed resistance and palatability supports predications that coral-seaweed bistability becomes more likely when algae are less vulnerable to consumers. As such, the trade-off paradigm provided valuable insight into the nature and reversibility of coral-to-macroalgae shifts. Because such trade-offs are likely to be common in plant communities, these insights may well be applicable to regime shifts in a broad range of ecosystems.</p>

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Insights from the competition–palatability trade-off paradigm on the reversibility of coral-to-macroalgae regime shifts

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月1日

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  • Dana T. Cook,
  • Sally J. Holbrook,
  • Russell J. Schmitt

摘要

Regime shifts often have profoundly negative ramifications, underscoring the need to better understand processes that influence their reversibility. We explored the interplay between trophic and competitive interactions in shaping resilience of seaweed states following coral-to-macroalgae shifts on tropical reefs. Herbivore feeding and competition assays indicated that interactions involving common seaweed species were consistent with the competition-palatability trade-off paradigm: the most consumed alga (Amansia rhodantha) ranked as best competitor, the least consumed (Turbinaria ornata) ranked as the worst, and a third (Sargassum pacificum) was intermediate in both aspects. A two-year experiment revealed that mixed-species seaweed assemblages became overgrown by Amansia when herbivores were excluded, whereas Turbinaria was the only seaweed that persisted under high herbivory. Additional experimentation showed that much less herbivory was needed to extirpate palatable seaweeds relative to unpalatable Turbinaria. This relationship between seaweed resistance and palatability supports predications that coral-seaweed bistability becomes more likely when algae are less vulnerable to consumers. As such, the trade-off paradigm provided valuable insight into the nature and reversibility of coral-to-macroalgae shifts. Because such trade-offs are likely to be common in plant communities, these insights may well be applicable to regime shifts in a broad range of ecosystems.