White lies for coral reefs: Dynamics of two-patch coral reefs model with asymmetric dispersal

Abstract

Coral reef ecosystem is a crucial component of marine ecosystems and is undergoing severe degradation due to the combined dural impact of environmental changes and human activities. Soundscape technology is an innovative coral reef restoration approach that attracts fish to degraded reefs. Inspired by such technique, a five-dimensional mathematical dynamical model incorporating the asymmetric dispersal of parrotfish is formulated to characterize the dynamic interaction among macroalgae, coral, algal turf, and parrotfish in coral reef ecosystem. Theoretical analyses are conducted and the impact of dispersal on the stability of coral reef ecosystems is systematically studied. The global sensitivity analysis is presented by using PRCC method and the impact of dispersal coefficients on the dynamic behavior of the model is explored through numerical simulations, which provide deeper insights into the influence of key parameters on the stability of the model. The main findings indicate that, adopting soundscape technology facilitates the recovery of coral reefs, make it easier to maintain a coral-dominated state, and reduce the possibility of phase shifts, thereby enhance the stability, biodiversity, and recovery of coral reef ecosystem.