Scaling Marine Biodiversity: Insights from a Trait-Based Framework

Marine ecosystems are shaped by complex ecological and evolutionary processes that operate across spatial scales, from fine local gradients to broad biogeographical patterns. Capturing how biodiversity emerges from these drivers requires moving beyond traditional taxonomic approaches toward integrative frameworks that explicitly incorporate functional traits, environmental gradients, and spatial heterogeneity. In this talk, I will present advances in applying a trait-based framework to scale marine biodiversity patterns, with an emphasis on reef fish assemblages. Drawing on multi-scale data from global reef ecosystems to regional transition zones and deep reefs, I explore how species traits mediate responses to environmental gradients and anthropogenic pressures, shaping community assembly across scales.

About the speaker: My research seeks to understand how ecological and evolutionary processes shape marine biodiversity across temporal and spatial scales. Working at the intersection of community ecology, macroecology, and biogeography, I focus on reef fish assemblages to uncover the mechanisms structuring biodiversity from local habitats to broad biogeographical regions. Using trait-based frameworks, spatial analyses, and large-scale datasets, I investigate how environmental gradients, historical processes, and species interactions drive community assembly and functional diversity. My work integrates theory and application, generating insights that advance our understanding of biodiversity patterns while informing conservation and management strategies in a rapidly changing ocean.