Persistence and trophic interactions of range-expanding tropical herbivores in Southwestern Australia: Implications for the functioning of temperate ecosystems

Climate change is modifying species distributions around the world, forcing some tropical species poleward. Range-shifting tropical herbivorous fishes are expected drive increases in primary consumption rates, altering the functioning of temperate ecosystems. However, many aspects about their biological performance and the magnitude and variability of their impacts remain unknown. My thesis evaluates how changes in distribution can affect the life-histories of tropical herbivores (Chapter 2), the spatio-temporal variability of their interactions with temperate foundation species and competitor herbivores (Chapters 3 & 4) and their capacity to persist and contribute to the maintenance of canopy-free states in temperate reefs (Chapter 5).