Biodiversity loss can lead to biotic homogenization, whereby local communities within a region become increasingly similar over time, resulting in simplified communities with reduced functionality. However, our understanding of whether alleviating anthropogenic stress can reverse homogenization and promote biotic differentiation (i.e., increasing dissimilarity) remains limited, partly because the effectiveness of conservation...

Mangrove nurseries are crucial for fishery production, supplying energy and nutrients via leaf organic matter in food webs. Recent stable isotope studies emphasize the nutritional value of mangrove detritus, especially for leaf-eating crabs, while algae remain important for other consumers in the ecosystem. In the Galapagos Islands, protected shorelines with mature mangrove forests may significantly contribute to secondary pro...