Degradation of coral reef ecosystems: Mathematical-dynamical modeling approach

Abstract This paper delves into the frontier of degradation of coral reef ecosystems, a pressing urgent issue to be addressed given the escalating threats faced by the crucial marine environments, and provides a critical assessment of recent advances, emerging trends, and valuable perspective on the studies employing mathematical-dynamical modeling approaches. This study highlights the recent developments in coral bleaching, coral-algal phase shifts, coral disease, and natural enemy bloom, all of which are thoroughly documented and comprehensively expounded. This review study also offers some valuable insights, illuminating ideas, and clear perspective into some current, emerging, and promising research directions for future studies, particularly those based on mathematical and biological modeling. These approaches are anticipated to offer a robust theoretical framework and provide crucial decision-making reference for the protection, restoration, and management of coral reef ecosystems.