Watershed–coastal ecological coupling

Names and classification

Other names

watershed-coastal ecological coupling

Family

Cross-Ecosystem Subsidies & Ahupuaʻa Connectivity

Record type

ecological_process

Habitat and ecology

Ecological role

Supports Atlas reasoning about ecosystem function, dependencies, threats, conservation leverage points and cross-module consequences.

Process and seasonal context

Definition

Ecological response in estuaries and reefs to changes in upstream flow, sediment, nutrients and land cover.

Drivers

water flow; animal movement; wind; waves; habitat connectivity

Inputs

water; nutrients; organisms; organic matter; sediment

Outputs

subsidies; downstream effects; cross-realm coupling

Spatial scales

ridge → reef / ocean → land

Temporal scales

event → seasonal → continuous

Validity and limits

Context-specific; do not extrapolate across habitat, season, elevation, salinity or disturbance state without evidence.

Sources and further reading

• From ridge to reef—linking erosion and changing watersheds to coral reef impacts
• From Land to Sea: stream flow, nutrients, organic matter and organisms
• Sedimentation processes in a coral reef embayment: Hanalei Bay, Kauaʻi