Archive data for: Loss of predation risk from apex predators can exacerbate marine tropicalization caused by extreme climatic events

1. Extreme climatic events (ECEs) and predator removal represent some of the most widespread stressors to ecosystems. Though species interactions can alter ecological effects of climate change (and vice versa), it is less understood whether, when, and how predator removal can interact with ECEs to exacerbate their effects.  Understanding the circumstances under which such interactions might occur is critical because predator loss is widespread and ECEs can generate rapid phase shifts in ecosystems which can ultimately lead to tropicalization.

2. Our goal was to determine whether loss of predation risk may be an important mechanism governing ecosystem responses to extreme events, and whether the effects of such events, such as tropicalization, can occur even when species range shifts do not.  Specifically, our goal was to experimentally simulate loss of an apex predator, the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) effects on a recently damaged seagrass ecosystem of Shark Bay, Australia by app...