Reconceptualizing intertidal ecosystem status: Integrating eDNA metabarcoding, stable isotopes, and functional indicators within an ecological framework

¹ Department of Aquatic Resources Management Study Program, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, 16680 Bogor, IPB University, Indonesia
² Mining Engineering, Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, 40132 Bandung, ITB University, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

The assessment of intertidal ecosystems presents challenges due to the complex interrelationship between community structure, trophic function, and anthropogenic influences. Current approaches remain methodologically fragmented, with studies typically relying on eDNA-based indicators to characterize biodiversity patterns or stable isotope analysis to infer trophic functioning, while integration between the two remains limited. This study aims to systematically review and synthesize these approaches and evaluate their integration for linking community structure and ecosystem function in disturbed environments. Following PRISMA guidelines, 1,659 articles were screened from ScienceDirect, of which 106 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria of the PEOS framework. Bibliometric analysis was further performed using VOSviewer software. Of the eligible studies, 88 (83%) employed stable isotope approaches, 17 (16%) applied eDNA metabarcoding, and only one study (1%) explicitly integrated both methods. These findings reveal substantial methodological fragmentation within intertidal ecosystem assessment. This study proposes an integrative ecological framework that links the dynamics of communities, trophic activities, and ecosystem stability in the context of anthropogenic influences. This framework provides a base for a comprehensive ecosystem assessment.