Digest: Drivers of coral diversification in a major marine biodiversity hotspot

摘要

Coral reefs are of great ecological importance for marine wildlife (Knowlton 2001); despite occupying less than 0.1 percent of the surface area of theworld’s oceans, they provide habitats for at least a quarter of marine species (Spalding and Grenfell 1997). They are fragile ecosystems, under threat from numerous stresses including climate change, ocean acidification, and destructive fishing practices (Pandolfi 2003). Despite their great ecological importance, relatively little is known about the evolution of coral reefs. The mode and tempo of evolution in coral reef systems are poorly understood, with data lacking on the origin and diversification of coral hotspots (Huang and Roy 2015).