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Evidencia isotópica fósil de simplificación trófica en arrecifes caribeños modernos

Jessica A Lueders-Dumont^1,2,3,4,5, Aaron O'Dea^6,7, Erin M Dillon⁶

¹Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama. jessica.lueders-dumont@bc.edu.

|February 11, 2026

Resumen

Los arrecifes caribeños modernos muestran cadenas alimentarias significativamente más cortas y una diversidad dietética reducida en comparación con los arrecifes prehistóricos. Esta simplificación trófica, impulsada por impactos humanos, puede aumentar la vulnerabilidad del ecosistema al colapso.

Área de la Ciencia:

Biología Marina
Paleoecología
Dinámica de Ecosistemas

Sus antecedentes:

Los arrecifes del Caribe enfrentan cambios significativos inducidos por el hombre en las comunidades de corales y peces.
La comprensión del impacto en la dinámica trófica es un desafío debido a las dificultades para reconstruir las estructuras de los arrecifes prehistóricos.

Objetivo del estudio:

Reconstruir y comparar la estructura trófica de los arrecifes del Caribe prehistóricos y modernos.
Cuantificar los cambios en la longitud de la cadena alimentaria y la variación dietética a lo largo del tiempo.

Principales métodos:

Se utilizó el análisis de isótopos de nitrógeno (15N/14N) ligados a fósiles en otolitos de peces y corales prehistóricos (hace 7000 años) y modernos.
Se centró en peces que ocupan niveles tróficos bajos a medios en Panamá y la República Dominicana.

Principales resultados:

Las cadenas alimentarias del Caribe moderno son un 60-70% más cortas que las prehistóricas.
La variación dietética disminuyó entre un 20% y un 70% en los arrecifes modernos, lo que indica una menor especialización dietética.
Los niveles tróficos disminuyeron en peces de nivel trófico alto, pero aumentaron o se mantuvieron sin cambios en peces de nivel trófico bajo a lo largo del tiempo.

Conclusiones:

Se documentó una simplificación trófica significativa en los arrecifes del Caribe modernos en comparación con los arrecifes prehistóricos.
La reducción observada en la variación dietética sugiere una disminución de la complejidad ecológica.
La simplificación trófica puede aumentar la vulnerabilidad de los arrecifes del Caribe modernos al colapso del ecosistema.

Palabras clave:

simplificación trófica arrecifes caribeños paleoecología isótopos de nitrógeno cadenas alimentarias diversidad dietética

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