Conservation implications
The anthropogenic transformation of Caribbean coral communities into their historically novel configurations has widespread consequences for reef ecosystem functioning. First, the loss of competitive Acropora corals represents a massive simplification of reef architectural structure and loss of carbonate production that may compromise the ability of Caribbean reefs to keep pace with anthropogenic sea level rise [71-72]. Second, the simplification of reef architecture has the potential to reduce diversity as well as the overall abundance of reef fish communities [73-74] and coral-associated invertebrates [17]. Third, coral community turnover has reduced the recovery potential of these reefs by selectively removing coral species with high larval dispersal rates (Acropora ) and replacing them with species with low larval dispersal rates (Agaricia and Porites ), limiting the ability of relatively intact reefs to re-seed degraded ones [75]. As climate change impacts accelerate on Caribbean reefs and exacerbate the effects of long-standing local human disturbances, the simultaneous mitigation of both local and global stressors is the only viable path to reef persistence. Indeed, recent studies from the Caribbean and Great Barrier Reef highlight the prospect of enhanced reef resiliency (but not resistance) to climate change impacts when land-based nutrification and overfishing are alleviated [57,76-78].