Geohistorical insights into marine functional connectivity

Abstract

Marine functional connectivity (MFC) refers to the flows of organic matter, genes, and energy that are caused by the active and passive movements of marine organisms. Occurring at various temporal and spatial scales, MFC is a dynamic, constantly evolving global ecological process, part of overall ecological connectivity, but with its own distinct and specific patterns. Geological and historical archives of changes in the distributions, life histories, and migration of species can provide baselines for deciphering the long-term trends (decadal to millions of years) and variability of MFC. In this food-for-thought paper, we identify the different types of geohistorical data that can be used to study past MFC. We propose resources that are available for such work. Finally, we offer a roadmap outlining the most appropriate approaches for analysing and interpreting these data, the biases and limitations involved, and what we consider to be the primary themes for future research in this field. Overall, we demonstrate how, despite differences in norms and limitations between disciplines, valuable data on ecological and societal change can be extracted from geological and historical archives, and be used to understand changes of MFC through time.