This is the case for reefs that are pristine and also those that have been affected by stresses, such as bleaching events caused by warming oceans.

However, the study’s results show that even though strong relationships between diversity and a healthy ecosystem persist, human-driven pressures of warming oceans and invasive species still diminish ecosystems in various ways.

This highlights that protecting fish biodiversity is a key factor for improving the survival chances of coral reef ecosystems in the face of rapid environmental change. But the researchers caution that without removing human-driven stressors, protecting biodiversity alone might not be enough.

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