Prioritizing phylogenetic diversity to protect functional diversity of reef corals

Aim The ecosystem functions and services of coral reefs are critical for coastal communities worldwide. Due to conservation resource limitation, species need be prioritized protect desirable properties biodiversity, such as functional diversity (FD), which has been associated with greater functioning but is difficult quantify directly. Selecting maximize phylogenetic (PD) shown indirectly capture FD in certain other taxa not corals. Here, we test this hypothesis, the “phylogenetic gambit”, on corals within global marine protected areas (MPAs). Location Global reefs. Methods Based distributions reef corals, a complete species-level phylogeny trait data, compared assemblages MPAs when selected PD versus randomly. relationships between were also tested predictors surrogacy. We then used perform spatial prioritization protection assessed congruence two approaches. Results captured significantly more than random subset 83.1% all selection scenarios across would average 18.7% selection. Spatial analyses showed some mismatches PD- FD-optimized planning units, particularly Tropical Western Atlantic, high degree overlap optimizations regions lends further credence PD-maximizing strategy conserving FD. Main Conclusions A generally protects relative species, suggesting that gambit” valid There risks, however, PD-maximized FD-maximized MPA networks highlight specific shortcomings PD-maximization approach. Nevertheless, data-deficient circumstances, maximizing may provide viable alternative.