Seven in a bundleThis is the backdrop of a new study by Centre researchers Kara Pellowe, Megan Meacham, Garry Peterson and Steven Lade, published in the journal Ecosystem Services. Such combinations of ecosystem services that occur together are called “bundles”, and in total the team of researchers investigated how seven different ecosystem services are linked in this way. The seven were: coastal protection, aesthetic value, productivity, nitrogen cycling, phosphorus cycling, inorganic carbon cycling and nutritional value. Clusters of reefsThe researchers studied data from rocky and coral reefs around the world and revealed several synergies and trade-offs among the seven ecosystem services. Their analysis also revealed three distinct clusters of reefs which they called Productive-nutritious reefs, Mid-service reefs and Service-rich reefs.