Harnessing Big Data to Reveal Past Trends, Assess Present Risks, and Forecast Future Food Web Dynamics
Long-term, multi-trophic biological data are rare, but when available, they can provide transformative insights into ecological systems. By harnessing large-scale biomonitoring datasets, we can uncover past trends, identify present vulnerabilities, and anticipate future community dynamics. We leveraged long-term data from the San Francisco Bay Estuary to reveal patterns of phenological change, assess temporal and spatial patterns in ecological risk, and forecast food web dynamics following the return of an apex predator. Models that integrate historical patterns can enhance our understanding of the processes shaping estuarine food webs. Moreover, these insights can support proactive decision-making in a heavily altered and dynamic system.