Abstract Trait-based approaches are revolutionizing our understanding of high-diversity ecosystems by providing insights into the principles underlying key ecological processes, such as community assembly, species distribution, resilience, and the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In 2016, the Coral Trait Database advanced coral reef science by centralizing trait information for stony corals (i.e., Subphylum Anthozoa, Class Hexacorallia, Order Scleractinia).
