Network analysis challenges the functional importance of charismatic and commercial species in the Gulf of California food web

Network analysis challenges the functional importance of charismatic and commercial species in the Gulf of California food web | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 29 April 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Network analysis challenges the functional importance of charismatic and commercial species in the Gulf of California food web Authors : Ruben Olmo-Gilabert 0000-0002-0319-4643 [email protected] , Gustavo De La Cruz-Agüero , Marco Scotti 0000-0002-0775-6148 , Tomás Marina 0000-0002-9203-7411 , Arturo Bell Enríquez-García , Víctor Hugo Cruz Escalona , Paola A. Mejía-Falla , and Andrés Felipe Navia Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174595025.56346658/v1 212 views 96 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Ecosystem-based management is widely recognized as a fundamental approach to ensure marine life conservation. Understanding species roles is crucial, yet conservation efforts often prioritize charismatic or commercially valuable species rather than those functionally important. The Gulf of California’s food web, a ”world aquarium” of biodiversity, was analyzed to assess its resilience and structure using a topological approach across summer and winter seasons. Employing global and node-level properties and, secondary extinction simulations, the study evaluated 32 network configurations, including original seasonal networks and extinction scenarios for charismatic, commercial, and structurally relevant species. Results revealed significant seasonal structural shifts: summer networks were modular and compartmentalized, promoting local stability, while winter networks exhibited greater integration and connectivity, enhancing global robustness. Node-level analyses identified Lolliguncula spp. and the blue shrimp (Penaeus stylirostris) as critical species due to their roles in energy flow and ecosystem stability. Redundancy metrics underscored low bottom-up and top-down redundancies indicating structural vulnerabilities. Secondary extinction simulations highlighted the ecological and economic dual role of commercial species, particularly the blue shrimp, whose removal caused cascading species losses across the food web. These collapses occurred even when predators retained a large part of their diet, as we simulated different levels of dietary dependency in the absence of abundance data. This study identifies structural vulnerabilities and functionally significant nodes, offering actionable insights for conservation planning. Network analysis is essential to design sustainable and inclusive management strategies tailored to the unique ecological, economic, and cultural priorities of the Gulf of California. Supplementary Material File (oik-11633-file001.docx) Download 3.02 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 29 April 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords biodiversity loss conservation ecosystem-based management phocoena sinus trophic network topology Authors Affiliations Ruben Olmo-Gilabert 0000-0002-0319-4643 [email protected] Autonomous University of Barcelona View all articles by this author Gustavo De La Cruz-Agüero CICIMAR View all articles by this author Marco Scotti 0000-0002-0775-6148 GEOMAR View all articles by this author Tomás Marina 0000-0002-9203-7411 Centro Austral de Investigaciones Cientificas View all articles by this author Arturo Bell Enríquez-García CICIMAR View all articles by this author Víctor Hugo Cruz Escalona CICIMAR View all articles by this author Paola A. Mejía-Falla Wildlife Conservation Society Colombia View all articles by this author Andrés Felipe Navia SQUALUS Fundación colombiana para la investigación y conservación de tiburones y rayas View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 212 views 96 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Ruben Olmo-Gilabert, Gustavo De La Cruz-Agüero, Marco Scotti, et al. Network analysis challenges the functional importance of charismatic and commercial species in the Gulf of California food web. Authorea . 29 April 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174595025.56346658/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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