Geohistorical insights into marine functional connectivity
Authors:
Konstantina Agiadi, Bryony A Caswell, Rita Almeida, Ali Becheker, Andreu Blanco, Cristina Brito, Manuel Jesús León-Cobo, Ellie-Mae E Cook, Federica Costantini, Merve Karakuş, Fabien Leprieur, Cataixa López, Lucía-López-López, Aaron O’Dea, Sven Pallacks, Irene Rabanal, Lotta Schultz, Susanne E Tanner, Tatiana Theodoropoulou, Ruth H Thurstan, Nina Vieira and Audrey M Darnaude
This paper explores how geohistorical records—including fossils, archaeological remains, historical documents, maps, genetic evidence and environmental archives—can be used to reconstruct changes in marine functional connectivity (MFC) over timescales ranging from decades to millions of years. MFC describes the movement-driven flows of organisms, genes, energy and nutrients that connect marine populations, habitats and ecosystems. Drawing on evidence from geology, palaeontology, archaeology and historical ecology, the authors demonstrate how past climate change, shifting ocean circulation, tectonic events and human activities have repeatedly altered connectivity patterns across the oceans. Through case studies of Pleistocene climate cycles, historical whaling and the formation of the Isthmus of Panama, the paper shows how changes in connectivity can reshape ecosystems, biodiversity and ecological function. The authors provide a practical roadmap for integrating diverse historical and geological datasets to investigate long-term connectivity and argue that these deep-time perspectives are essential for establishing ecological baselines, understanding ecosystem resilience, and predicting how marine systems may respond to future environmental change.
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