Regulating Coral Communities

While coral reefs support more species than any other marine system, coral reef ecology bo"ows heavily from theoretical advances in lowdiversity te"estrial systems. This article reviews recent developments in ecology on coral reefs and weaves together the relevant information within a theoretical framework that aims toward predictive modeling of coral populations and communities. The author begins with a historical perspective, involving arguments that shaped modern community theory, and introduces coral communities within this context. The major parameters that shape coral community structure are outlined and the question of whether competition between corals and disturbance frequency actually drives diversity and local community structure i.f discussed. Within the context of metapopulation modeling, involving colonization and extinction events, the author discusses reef connectivity and postsettlement processes and argues for a neutral model with high diversity as the default system. The article concludes with a brief discussion on deficiencies in coral community data and future modeling directions.