To understand how ecosystems function and how matter and energy flow through them, it is essential to understand the architecture of these ecosystems. This consists of the trophic interactions between organisms that determine the exchange of energy and nutrients within the system. For particularly rich ecological systems, such as coral reefs, our knowledge of the structure of the food web is still only partial. In the scientific literature, it was commonly accepted that most reef fish were generalists. However, a new study involving our colleague Mireille Harmelin, published in the journal PNAS, suggests that fish tend to be specialists (feeding on a limited combination of prey) and that their disappearance could pose a threat to the overall productivity of this ecosystem.
Publication PNAS
