1
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Ferreira AP, Francelino AC, Costa TM. Effects of marine heatwaves on primary and secondary production in macroalgae-amphipod systems. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2025; 209:107231. [PMID: 40398005 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2025] [Revised: 04/30/2025] [Accepted: 05/16/2025] [Indexed: 05/23/2025]
Abstract
Marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense as climate change progresses, with potential consequences for the functioning of marine ecosystems, particularly macroalgal beds and their associated mesoherbivores. While the direct effects of heatwaves on macroalgae have been well studied, the interactions between species at different trophic levels that affect ecosystem functioning remain underexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate how marine heatwaves affect primary and secondary productivity in marine ecosystems. We conducted a mesocosm experiment combining the macroalga Sargassum filipendula and the mesoherbivore amphipod Cymadusa filosa under two temperature scenarios: a current summer temperature (27 °C) and a heatwave scenario (32 °C), with and without herbivores. The experiment lasted 30 days, with 5 days of marine heatwave. All replicates were kept at 27 °C for ten days. Then, the 'heatwave' treatment replicates were exposed to 32 °C for five days. Subsequently, all replicates were returned to 27 °C and maintained for 15 days until the end of the experiment. We evaluated the variation in macroalgal biomass and the variation in amphipod biomass and abundance. The results showed that heatwaves reduced primary and secondary productivity, with the greatest effects observed on primary producers. The reduction in primary productivity suggests that these extreme events may compromise the ability of macroalgae to support the base of the coastal food web and facilitate the occurrence of an abundant and diverse associated fauna. Thus, changes in mesoherbivore biomass may have significant implications for higher trophic levels, affecting the dynamics and stability of marine ecosystems. These results suggest that marine heatwaves affect the functioning of marine ecosystems by reducing productivity, potentially altering the flow of energy and matter along the food web, and affecting ecosystem services such as carbon storage by algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Ferreira
- Postgraduate Program in Biodiversity in Coastal Environments, Unesp, Institute of Biosciences, São Vicente, 11330-900, SP, Brazil; São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Infante Dom Henrique Square, São Vicente, 11330-900, SP, Brazil.
| | - Ana Carolina Francelino
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Infante Dom Henrique Square, São Vicente, 11330-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Tania Marcia Costa
- Postgraduate Program in Biodiversity in Coastal Environments, Unesp, Institute of Biosciences, São Vicente, 11330-900, SP, Brazil; São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Infante Dom Henrique Square, São Vicente, 11330-900, SP, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences (Zoology), Bioscience Institute, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Botucatu Campus, SP, 18618-000, Brazil
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2
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Benítez S, Navarro JM, Mardones D, Villanueva PA, Ramirez-Kushel F, Torres R, Lagos NA. Direct and indirect impacts of ocean acidification and warming on algae-herbivore interactions in intertidal habitats. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 195:115549. [PMID: 37729690 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenically induced global climate change has caused profound impacts in the world ocean. Climate change related stressors, like ocean acidification (OA) and warming (OW) can affect physiological performance of marine species. However, studies evaluating the impacts of these stressors on algae-herbivore interactions have been much more scarce. We approached this issue by assessing the combined impacts of OA and OW on the physiological energetics of the herbivorous snail Tegula atra, and whether this snail is affected indirectly by changes in biochemical composition of the kelp Lessonia spicata, in response to OA and OW. Our results show that OA and OW induce changes in kelp biochemical composition and palatability (organic matter, phenolic content), which in turn affect snails' feeding behaviour and energy balance. Nutritional quality of food plays a key role on grazers' physiological energetics and can define the stability of trophic interactions in rapidly changing environments such as intertidal communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samanta Benítez
- Programa de Doctorado en Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile; Instituto Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile; Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CiiCC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Jorge M Navarro
- Instituto Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile; Centro FONDAP de Investigación Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL), Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Daniela Mardones
- Instituto Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Paola A Villanueva
- Instituto Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile; Programa de Doctorado en Acuicultura, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Felipe Ramirez-Kushel
- Instituto Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Coyhaique, Chile
| | - Nelson A Lagos
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CiiCC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Santiago, Chile
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3
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Álvarez‐Codesal S, Faillace CA, Garreau A, Bestion E, Synodinos AD, Montoya JM. Thermal mismatches explain consumer-resource dynamics in response to environmental warming. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10179. [PMID: 37325725 PMCID: PMC10264966 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Changing temperatures will impact food webs in ways we yet to fully understand. The thermal sensitivities of various physiological and ecological processes differ across organisms and study systems, hindering the generation of accurate predictions. One step towards improving this picture is to acquire a mechanistic understanding of how temperature change impacts trophic interactions before we can scale these insights up to food webs and ecosystems. Here, we implement a mechanistic approach centered on the thermal sensitivity of energetic balances in pairwise consumer-resource interactions, measuring the thermal dependence of energetic gain and loss for two resource and one consumer freshwater species. Quantifying the balance between energy gain and loss, we determined the temperature ranges where the balance decreased for each species in isolation (intraspecific thermal mismatch) and where a mismatch in the balance between consumer and resource species emerged (interspecific thermal mismatch). The latter reveals the temperatures for which consumer and resource energetic balances respond either differently or in the same way, which in turn informs us of the strength of top-down control. We found that warming improved the energetic balance for both resources, but reduces it for the consumer, due to the stronger thermal sensitivity of respiration compared to ingestion. The interspecific thermal mismatch yielded different patterns between the two consumer-resource pairs. In one case, the consumer-resource energetic balance became weaker throughout the temperature gradient, and in the other case it produced a U-shaped response. By also measuring interaction strength for these interaction pairs, we demonstrated the correspondence of interspecific thermal mismatches and interaction strength. Our approach accounts for the energetic traits of both consumer and resource species, which combined produce a good indication of the thermal sensitivity of interaction strength. Thus, this novel approach links thermal ecology with parameters typically explored in food-web studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cara A. Faillace
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology StationCNRSMoulisFrance
- Present address:
Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Elvire Bestion
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology StationCNRSMoulisFrance
| | | | - José M. Montoya
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology StationCNRSMoulisFrance
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4
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Santana-Garcon J, Bennett S, Marbà N, Vergés A, Arthur R, Alcoverro T. Tropicalization shifts herbivore pressure from seagrass to rocky reef communities. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221744. [PMID: 36629100 PMCID: PMC9832549 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate-driven species redistributions are reshuffling the composition of marine ecosystems. How these changes alter ecosystem functions, however, remains poorly understood. Here we examine how impacts of herbivory change across a gradient of tropicalization in the Mediterranean Sea, which includes a steep climatic gradient and marked changes in plant nutritional quality and fish herbivore composition. We quantified individual feeding rates and behaviour of 755 fishes of the native Sarpa salpa, and non-native Siganus rivulatus and Siganus luridus. We measured herbivore and benthic assemblage composition across 20 sites along the gradient, spanning 30° of longitude and 8° of latitude. We coupled patterns in behaviour and composition with temperature measurements and nutrient concentrations to assess changes in herbivory under tropicalization. We found a transition in ecological impacts by fish herbivory across the Mediterranean from a predominance of seagrass herbivory in the west to a dominance of macroalgal herbivory in the east. Underlying this shift were changes in both individual feeding behaviour (i.e. food choice) and fish assemblage composition. The shift in feeding selectivity was consistent among temperate and warm-affiliated herbivores. Our findings suggest herbivory can contribute to the increased vulnerability of seaweed communities and reduced vulnerability of seagrass meadows in tropicalized ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Santana-Garcon
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA), CSIC-UIB, Esporles, Spain,Flourishing Oceans Initiative, The Minderoo Foundation, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Scott Bennett
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA), CSIC-UIB, Esporles, Spain,Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Núria Marbà
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA), CSIC-UIB, Esporles, Spain
| | - Adriana Vergés
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rohan Arthur
- Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore, Karnataka 570 002, India,Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Teresa Alcoverro
- Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore, Karnataka 570 002, India,Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés a la cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain
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5
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Marine heatwaves of different magnitudes have contrasting effects on herbivore behaviour. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17309. [PMID: 36243783 PMCID: PMC9569385 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21567-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Global climate change is leading to shifts in abiotic conditions. Short-term temperature stresses induced by marine heatwaves (MHWs) can affect organisms both during and after the events. However, the recovery capacity of organisms is likely dependent on the magnitude of the initial stress event. Here, we experimentally assessed the effect of MHW magnitude on behavioural and physiological responses of a common marine gastropod, Lunella granulata, both during and after the MHW. Self-righting behaviours tended to become faster under moderate MHWs, whereas there was a trend toward these behaviours slowing under extreme MHWs. After a recovery period at ambient temperatures, individuals that experienced extreme MHWs showed persistent small, but not significant, negative effects. Survival and oxygen consumption rates were unaffected by MHW magnitude both during and after the event. While extreme MHWs may have negative behavioural consequences for tropical marine gastropods, their physiological responses may allow continued survival.
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6
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Emergent effects of global change on consumption depend on consumers and their resources in marine systems. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2108878119. [PMID: 35446691 PMCID: PMC9173678 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108878119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the effects of global change on species interactions is important for predicting emergent ecosystem changes. Although environmental change can have direct effects on consumers, it is unclear if consumption will change in any generalizable way when both the consumer and resource(s) are exposed to future conditions. Using meta-analysis, we show high variability in consumption rates in response to ocean acidification and warming, indicating conclusions that suggest consumption will generally increase or decrease in a future ocean are premature. We also demonstrate how the interpretation is dependent on whether only the consumer or both the consumer and its resource(s) are exposed to future conditions. Based on these findings, we provide a road map for future research in this area. A better understanding of how environmental change will affect species interactions would significantly aid efforts to scale up predictions of near-future responses to global change from individuals to ecosystems. To address this need, we used meta-analysis to quantify the individual and combined effects of ocean acidification (OA) and warming on consumption rates of predators and herbivores in marine ecosystems. Although the primary studies demonstrated that these environmental variables can have direct effects on consumers, our analyses highlight high variability in consumption rates in response to OA and warming. This variability likely reflects differences in local adaptation among species, as well as important methodological differences. For example, our results suggest that exposure of consumers to OA reduces consumption rates on average, yet consumption rates actually increase when both consumers and their resource(s) are concurrently exposed to the same conditions. We hypothesize that this disparity is due to increased vulnerability of prey or resource(s) in conditions of OA that offset declines in consumption. This hypothesis is supported by an analysis demonstrating clear declines in prey survival in studies that exposed only prey to future OA conditions. Our results illustrate how simultaneous OA and warming produce complex outcomes when species interact. Researchers should further explore other potential sources of variation in response, as well as the prey-driven component of any changes in consumption and the potential for interactive effects of OA and warming.
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7
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Duarte C, Jahnsen-Guzmán N, Quijón PA, Manríquez PH, Lardies MA, Fernández C, Reyes M, Zapata J, García-Huidobro MR, Lagos NA. Morphological, physiological and behavioral responses of an intertidal snail, Acanthina monodon (Pallas), to projected ocean acidification and cooling water conditions in upwelling ecosystems. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 293:118481. [PMID: 34763014 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) is expected to rise towards the end of the 21st century altering the life history traits in marine organisms. Upwelling systems will not escape OA, but unlike other areas of the ocean, cooling effects are expected to intensify in these systems. Regardless, studies evaluating the combined effects of OA and cooling remain scarce. We addressed this gap using a mesocosm system, where we exposed juveniles of the intertidal muricid snail Acanthina monodon to current and projected pCO2 (500 vs. 1500 ppm) and temperature (15 vs. 10 °C) from the southeast Pacific upwelling system. After 9 weeks of experimental exposure to those conditions, we conducted three estimations of growth (wet weight, shell length and shell peristomal length), in addition to measuring calcification, metabolic and feeding rates and the ability of these organisms to return to the normal upright position after being overturned (self-righting). Growth, feeding and calcification rates increased in projected cooling conditions (10 °C) but were unaffected by pCO2 or the interaction between pCO2 and temperature. Instead, metabolic rates were driven by pCO2, but a significant interaction with temperature suggests that in cooler conditions, metabolic rates will increase when associated with high pCO2 levels. Snail self-righting times were not affected across treatments. These results suggest that colder temperatures projected for this area would drive this species growth, feeding and calcification, and consequently, some of its population biology and productivity. However, the snails may need to compensate for the increase in metabolic rates under the effects of ocean acidification. Although A. monodon ability to adjust to individual or combined stressors will likely account for some of the changes described here, our results point to a complex dynamic to take place in intertidal habitats associated with upwelling systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Duarte
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile; Centro de Investigación Marina Quintay (CIMARQ), Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nicole Jahnsen-Guzmán
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile; Centro de Investigación Marina Quintay (CIMARQ), Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Pedro A Quijón
- Department of Biology, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Patricio H Manríquez
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Coquimbo, Chile; Laboratorio de Ecología y Conducta de la Ontogenia Temprana (LECOT), Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Marco A Lardies
- Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Miguel Reyes
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CiiCC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejercito 146, Santiago, Chile
| | - Javier Zapata
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CiiCC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejercito 146, Santiago, Chile; Departamento de Ecología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - M Roberto García-Huidobro
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CiiCC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejercito 146, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nelson A Lagos
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CiiCC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejercito 146, Santiago, Chile
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8
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Lowman HE, Emery KA, Dugan JE, Miller RJ. Nutritional quality of giant kelp declines due to warming ocean temperatures. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heili E. Lowman
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, Univ. of California Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Kyle A. Emery
- Marine Science Inst., Univ. of California Santa Barbara CA USA
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9
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Predicting responses to marine heatwaves using functional traits. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 37:20-29. [PMID: 34593256 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Marine heatwaves (MHWs), discrete but prolonged periods of anomalously warm seawater, can fundamentally restructure marine communities and ecosystems. Although our understanding of these events has improved in recent years, key knowledge gaps hinder our ability to predict how MHWs will affect patterns of biodiversity. Here, we outline a functional trait approach that enables a better understanding of which species and communities will be most vulnerable to MHWs, and how the distribution of species and composition of communities are likely to shift through time. Our perspective allows progress toward unifying extreme events and longer term environmental trends as co-drivers of ecological change, with the incorporation of species traits into our predictions allowing for a greater capacity to make management decisions.
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10
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Minuti JJ, Byrne M, Hemraj DA, Russell BD. Capacity of an ecologically key urchin to recover from extreme events: Physiological impacts of heatwaves and the road to recovery. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 785:147281. [PMID: 33933766 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Heatwaves are increasing in frequency and intensity, with substantial impacts on ecosystems and species which maintain their function. Whether or not species are harmed by heatwave conditions by being pushed beyond their physiological bounds can depend on whether energy replacement is sufficient to enable recovery from acute stress. We exposed an ecologically important sea urchin, Heliocidaris erythrogramma, to experimental marine heatwave scenarios in context with recent summer heat anomalies in moderate (25 °C), and strong heatwave (26 °C) conditions for 10 days, followed by a 10-day recovery period at normal summer temperature (23 °C). Greater heatwave intensity drove higher metabolic rates which were not matched with a concurrent increase in food consumption or faecal production. However, food consumption increased during the post-heatwave recovery period, likely to replenish an energy deficit. Despite this, mortality increased into the recovery period and seemed to be caused by latent effects, manifesting as a decline in health index as individuals progressed from spine and pedicellariae loss, through to loss of tube foot rigor, bald patch disease, culminating in mortality. We show for the first time that the acute thermal stress of heatwaves can have latent physiological effects that cause mortality even when conditions return to normal. Our results show that the negative effects of heatwaves can manifest after relief from stressful conditions and highlight the importance of understanding the latent effects on physiology and health. This understanding will offer insights into the long-term potential for stress recovery following seemingly sublethal effects and whether the restoration of ambient conditions post-heatwave is sufficient to ensure population stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay J Minuti
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Maria Byrne
- School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Deevesh A Hemraj
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bayden D Russell
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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11
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Ferreira CM, Nagelkerken I, Goldenberg SU, Walden G, Leung JYS, Connell SD. Functional loss in herbivores drives runaway expansion of weedy algae in a near-future ocean. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 695:133829. [PMID: 31421342 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The ability of a community to absorb environmental change without undergoing structural modification is a hallmark of ecological resistance. The recognition that species interactions can stabilize community processes has led to the idea that the effects of climate change may be less than what most considerations currently allow. We tested whether herbivory can compensate for the expansion of weedy algae triggered by CO2 enrichment and warming. Using a six-month mesocosm experiment, we show that increasing per capita herbivory by gastropods absorbs the boosted effects of CO2 enrichment on algal production in temperate systems of weak to moderate herbivory. However, under the combined effects of acidification and warming this compensatory effect was eroded by reducing the diversity, density and biomass of herbivores. This loss of functionality combined with boosted primary productivity drove a fourfold expansion of weedy algal species. Our results demonstrate capacity to buffer ecosystems against CO2 enrichment, but loss of this capacity through ocean warming either in isolation or combined with CO2, driving significant algal turf expansion. Identifying compensatory processes and the circumstances under which they prevail could potentially help manage the impacts of ocean warming and acidification, which are further amplified by local disturbances such as habitat loss and herbivore over-exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo M Ferreira
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
| | - Silvan U Goldenberg
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Georgia Walden
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Jonathan Y S Leung
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Sean D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences and The Environment Institute, DX 650 418, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
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12
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Gehman AM, Satterfield DA, Keogh CL, McKay AF, Budischak SA. To improve ecological understanding, collect infection data. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa‐Lois M. Gehman
- Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
- Hakai Institute End of Kwakshua Channel, Calvert Island British Columbia Canada
- Department of Zoology University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Dara A. Satterfield
- Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Washington D.C. USA
| | - Carolyn L. Keogh
- Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences Emory University Atlanta Georgia USA
| | | | - Sarah A. Budischak
- Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
- W. M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna College Claremont California USA
- W. M. Keck Science Department of Pitzer College Claremont California USA
- W. M. Keck Science Department of Scripps College Claremont California USA
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13
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Grilo TF, Repolho T, Rosa R, Cardoso PG. Performance and herbivory of the tropical topshell Trochus histrio under short-term temperature increase and high CO 2. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 138:295-301. [PMID: 30660276 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Within tropical environments, short-term impacts of increased seawater temperature and pCO2 on algae-herbivore interactions remain poorly understood. We investigated the isolated and combined 7-day effects of increased temperature (+4 °C) and pCO2 (~1000 μatm) on the trophic interaction Ulva sp./Trochus histrio, by assessing: i) topshells' survival and condition index; ii) grazer consumption rates, nutritional composition and interaction strength expressed as a dynamic index. No survival differences were observed whilst body condition varied significantly. Topshells under high pCO2 displayed poor performance, concomitant with lower consumption of macroalgae. Individuals exposed to increased temperature had better physical condition, thus stimulating herbivory, which in turn was negatively correlated with carbon and nitrogen contents. The dynamic index was temperature- and pCO2- interactively dependent, suggesting lower grazing pressure under single acidification. Despite some limitations inherent to a short-term exposure, this study provides new insights to accurately predict tropical species' phenotypic responses in a changing ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago F Grilo
- MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal.
| | - Tiago Repolho
- MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
| | - Rui Rosa
- MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
| | - Patrícia G Cardoso
- MARE - Centro de Ciencias do Mar e do Ambiente, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
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14
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Rich WA, Schubert N, Schläpfer N, Carvalho VF, Horta ACL, Horta PA. Physiological and biochemical responses of a coralline alga and a sea urchin to climate change: Implications for herbivory. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 142:100-107. [PMID: 30293660 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Direct responses to rising temperatures and ocean acidification are increasingly well known for many single species, yet recent reviews have highlighted the need for climate change research to consider a broader range of species, how stressors may interact, and how stressors may affect species interactions. The latter point is important in the context of plant-herbivore interactions, as increasing evidence shows that increasing seawater temperature and/or acidification can alter algal traits that dictate their susceptibility to herbivores, and subsequently, community and ecosystem properties. To better understand how marine rocky shore environments will be affected by a changing ocean, in the present study we investigated the direct effects of short-term, co-occurring increased temperature and ocean acidification on a coralline alga (Jania rubens) and a sea urchin herbivore (Echinometra lucunter) and assessed the indirect effects of these factors on the algal-herbivore interaction. A 21-day mesocosm experiment was conducted with both algae and sea urchins exposed to ambient (24 °C, Low CO2), high-temperature (28 °C, Low CO2), acidified (24 °C, High CO2), or high-temperature plus acidified (28 °C, High CO2) conditions. Algal photosynthesis, respiration, and phenolic content were unaffected by increased temperature and CO2, but calcium carbonate content was reduced under high CO2 treatments in both temperatures, while total sugar content of the algae was reduced under acidified, lower temperature conditions. Metabolic rates of the sea urchin were elevated in the lower temperature, high CO2 treatment, and feeding assays showed that consumption rates also increased in this treatment. Despite some changes to algal chemical composition, it appears that at least under short-term exposure to climate change conditions, direct effects on herbivore metabolism dictated herbivory rates, while indirect effects caused by changes in algal palatability seemed to be of minor importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter A Rich
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil; Phycology Laboratory (LaFic), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
| | - Nadine Schubert
- Phycology Laboratory (LaFic), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia, Centro de Ciências Físicas e Matemáticas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Nina Schläpfer
- Phycology Laboratory (LaFic), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Vanessa F Carvalho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil; Phycology Laboratory (LaFic), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Antonio C L Horta
- Phycology Laboratory (LaFic), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Paulo A Horta
- Phycology Laboratory (LaFic), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil; Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
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15
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Leung JYS, Nagelkerken I, Russell BD, Ferreira CM, Connell SD. Boosted nutritional quality of food by CO 2 enrichment fails to offset energy demand of herbivores under ocean warming, causing energy depletion and mortality. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 639:360-366. [PMID: 29791888 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The CO2-boosted trophic transfer from primary producers to herbivores has been increasingly discovered at natural CO2 vents and in laboratory experiments. Despite the emerging knowledge of this boosting effect, we do not know the extent to which it may be enhanced or dampened by ocean warming. We investigated whether ocean acidification and warming enhance the nutritional quality (C:N ratio) and energy content of turf algae, which is speculated to drive higher feeding rate, greater energy budget and eventually faster growth of herbivores. This proposal was tested by observing the physiological (feeding rate, respiration rate and energy budget) and demographic responses (growth and survival) of a common grazing gastropod (Phasianella australis) to ocean acidification and warming in a 6-month mesocosm experiment. Whilst we observed the boosting effect of ocean acidification and warming in isolation on the energy budget of herbivores by either increasing feeding rate on the more nutritious algae or increasing energy gain per feeding effort, their growth and survival were reduced by the sublethal thermal stress under ocean warming, especially when both climate change stressors were combined. This reduced growth and survival occurred as a consequence of depleted energy reserves, suggesting that the boosting effect via trophic transfer might not sufficiently compensate for the increased energy demand imposed by ocean warming. In circumstances where ocean acidification and warming create an energy demand on herbivores that outweighs the energy enhancement of their food (i.e. primary producers), the performance of herbivores to control their blooming resources likely deteriorates and thus runaway primary production ensues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Y S Leung
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bayden D Russell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; The Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Camilo M Ferreira
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sean D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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16
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Marino NDAC, Romero GQ, Farjalla VF. Geographical and experimental contexts modulate the effect of warming on top-down control: a meta-analysis. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:455-466. [PMID: 29368449 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Ecologists have extensively investigated the effect of warming on consumer-resource interactions, with experiments revealing that warming can strengthen, weaken or have no net effect on top-down control of resources. These experiments have inspired a body of theoretical work to explain the variation in the effect of warming on top-down control. However, there has been no quantitative attempt to reconcile theory with outcomes from empirical studies. To address the gap between theory and experiment, we performed a meta-analysis to examine the combined effect of experimental warming and top-down control on resource biomass and determined potential sources of variation across experiments. We show that differences in experimental outcomes are related to systematic variation in the geographical distribution of studies. Specifically, warming strengthened top-down control when experiments were conducted in colder regions, but had the opposite effect in warmer regions. Furthermore, we found that differences in the thermoregulation strategy of the consumer and openness of experimental arenas to dispersal can contribute to some deviation from the overall geographical pattern. These results reconcile empirical findings and support the expectation of geographical variation in the response of consumer-resource interactions to warming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gustavo Quevedo Romero
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade (LIMBIO), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, CP 6109, Brazil
| | - Vinicius Fortes Farjalla
- Laboratorio Internacional en Cambio Global (LINCGlobal).,Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CP 68020, Brazil
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17
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Filbee-Dexter K, Wernberg T. Rise of Turfs: A New Battlefront for Globally Declining Kelp Forests. Bioscience 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/bix147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 254] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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18
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Ullah H, Nagelkerken I, Goldenberg SU, Fordham DA. Climate change could drive marine food web collapse through altered trophic flows and cyanobacterial proliferation. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2003446. [PMID: 29315309 PMCID: PMC5760012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2003446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming and ocean acidification are forecast to exert significant impacts on marine ecosystems worldwide. However, most of these projections are based on ecological proxies or experiments on single species or simplified food webs. How energy fluxes are likely to change in marine food webs in response to future climates remains unclear, hampering forecasts of ecosystem functioning. Using a sophisticated mesocosm experiment, we model energy flows through a species-rich multilevel food web, with live habitats, natural abiotic variability, and the potential for intra- and intergenerational adaptation. We show experimentally that the combined stress of acidification and warming reduced energy flows from the first trophic level (primary producers and detritus) to the second (herbivores), and from the second to the third trophic level (carnivores). Warming in isolation also reduced the energy flow from herbivores to carnivores, the efficiency of energy transfer from primary producers and detritus to herbivores and detritivores, and the living biomass of detritivores, herbivores, and carnivores. Whilst warming and acidification jointly boosted primary producer biomass through an expansion of cyanobacteria, this biomass was converted to detritus rather than to biomass at higher trophic levels—i.e., production was constrained to the base of the food web. In contrast, ocean acidification affected the food web positively by enhancing trophic flow from detritus and primary producers to herbivores, and by increasing the biomass of carnivores. Our results show how future climate change can potentially weaken marine food webs through reduced energy flow to higher trophic levels and a shift towards a more detritus-based system, leading to food web simplification and altered producer–consumer dynamics, both of which have important implications for the structuring of benthic communities. Healthy marine ecosystems are crucial for people’s livelihoods and food production. Global climate stressors, such as warming and ocean acidification, can drastically impact the structure and function of marine food webs, diminishing the production of goods and services. Our ability to predict how future food webs will respond to a changing environment is limited by our understanding of species responses to climate change, which are often tested in isolation or in simplified experimental designs. More realistic predictions of the impacts of climate change on ecosystems requires consideration of entire species communities, including the species interactions that can buffer or exacerbate these impacts. We experimentally tested the effects of warming and acidification, both individually and in combination, on a benthic marine food web in a near-natural ecological setting. Energy flow from the first trophic level (primary producers and detritus) to the second (herbivores), and from the second to the third trophic level (carnivores) was quantified under these different regimes. We show that warming, either alone or in combination with acidification, can constrain productivity to the bottom of the food web by enhancing cyanobacterial biomass and reducing energy flow to higher trophic levels, thus lowering energy transfer efficiency between producers and consumers. In contrast, increased ocean acidification alone showed a positive effect on herbivores and carnivores. Our finding is important because it demonstrates that future warming could drive marine food web collapses to potentially simplified and less productive coastal systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadayet Ullah
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Silvan U. Goldenberg
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Damien A. Fordham
- The Environment Institute, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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19
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Barria AM, Bacigalupe LD, Lagos NA, Lardies MA. Thermal physiological traits and plasticity of metabolism are sensitive to biogeographic breaks in a rock-pool marine shrimp. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb.181008. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.181008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Populations of broadly distributed species commonly exhibit latitudinal variation in thermal tolerance and physiological plasticity. This variation can be interrupted when biogeographic breaks occur across the range of a species, which are known to affect patterns of community structure, abundance, and recruitment dynamics. Coastal biogeographic breaks often impose abrupt changes in environmental characteristics driven by oceanographic processes and can affect the physiological responses of populations inhabiting these areas. Here we examined thermal limits, performances for heart rate and plasticity for metabolic rate of the intertidal shrimp Betaeus emarginatus from seven populations along its latitudinal range (∼ 3000 km). The distribution of this species encompass two breaks at the southeastern Pacific coast of Chile: the northern break is characterized by sharp discontinuities in upwelling regimes, and the southern break, constitutes a major discontinuity in water conditions (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrients), coastline topography, and divergence of main oceanographic currents. For B. emarginatus, we found higher plasticity of metabolism in the sites sampled at the biogeographic breaks, and at the site subjected to seasonal upwelling. The variation of metabolic rate was not consistent with increasing latitude and it was not affected by breaks. The lower and upper thermal limits were lower in populations around breaks, although the optimum temperature decreased towards higher latitudes. Overall, while thermal limits and plasticity of metabolism are related to biogeographic breaks, metabolic rate is not related with increasing latitude or the presence of breaks in the sampled range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aura M. Barria
- Departamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Diagonal Las Torres 2640, Peñalolen, Santiago, Chile
| | - Leonardo D. Bacigalupe
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Nelson A. Lagos
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejército 146, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marco A. Lardies
- Departamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Diagonal Las Torres 2640, Peñalolen, Santiago, Chile
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20
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Heatwaves diminish the survival of a subtidal gastropod through reduction in energy budget and depletion of energy reserves. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17688. [PMID: 29247164 PMCID: PMC5732251 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16341-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme climatic events, such as heatwaves, are predicted to be more prevalent in future due to global climate change. The devastating impacts of heatwaves on the survival of marine organisms may be further intensified by ocean acidification. Here, we tested the hypothesis that prolonged exposure to heatwave temperatures (24 °C, +3 °C summer seawater temperature) would diminish energy budget, body condition and ultimately survival of a subtidal gastropod (Thalotia conica) by pushing close to its critical thermal maximum (CTmax). We also tested whether ocean acidification (pCO2: 1000 ppm) affects energy budget, CTmax and hence survival of this gastropod. Following the 8-week experimental period, mortality was markedly higher at 24 °C irrespective of pCO2 level, probably attributed to energy deficit (negative scope for growth) and concomitant depletion of energy reserves (reduced organ weight to flesh weight ratio). CTmax of T. conica appeared at 27 °C and was unaffected by ocean acidification. Our findings imply that prolonged exposure to heatwaves can compromise the survival of marine organisms below CTmax via disruption in energy homeostasis, which possibly explains their mass mortality in the past heatwave events. Therefore, heatwaves would have more profound effects than ocean acidification on future marine ecosystems.
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21
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Ghedini G, Connell SD. Moving ocean acidification research beyond a simple science: Investigating ecological change and their stabilizers. FOOD WEBS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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22
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Goldenberg SU, Nagelkerken I, Ferreira CM, Ullah H, Connell SD. Boosted food web productivity through ocean acidification collapses under warming. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:4177-4184. [PMID: 28447365 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Future climate is forecast to drive bottom-up (resource driven) and top-down (consumer driven) change to food web dynamics and community structure. Yet, our predictive understanding of these changes is hampered by an over-reliance on simplified laboratory systems centred on single trophic levels. Using a large mesocosm experiment, we reveal how future ocean acidification and warming modify trophic linkages across a three-level food web: that is, primary (algae), secondary (herbivorous invertebrates) and tertiary (predatory fish) producers. Both elevated CO2 and elevated temperature boosted primary production. Under elevated CO2 , the enhanced bottom-up forcing propagated through all trophic levels. Elevated temperature, however, negated the benefits of elevated CO2 by stalling secondary production. This imbalance caused secondary producer populations to decline as elevated temperature drove predators to consume their prey more rapidly in the face of higher metabolic demand. Our findings demonstrate how anthropogenic CO2 can function as a resource that boosts productivity throughout food webs, and how warming can reverse this effect by acting as a stressor to trophic interactions. Understanding the shifting balance between the propagation of resource enrichment and its consumption across trophic levels provides a predictive understanding of future dynamics of stability and collapse in food webs and fisheries production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvan U Goldenberg
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ivan Nagelkerken
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Camilo M Ferreira
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Hadayet Ullah
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Sean D Connell
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences & The Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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23
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Sampaio E, Rodil IF, Vaz-Pinto F, Fernández A, Arenas F. Interaction strength between different grazers and macroalgae mediated by ocean acidification over warming gradients. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 125:25-33. [PMID: 28088495 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 12/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Since the past century, rising CO2 levels have led to global changes (ocean warming and acidification) with subsequent effects on marine ecosystems and organisms. Macroalgae-herbivore interactions have a main role in the regulation of marine community structure (top-down control). Gradients of warming prompt complex non-linear effects on organism metabolism, cascading into altered trophic interactions and community dynamics. However, not much is known on how will acidification and grazer assemblage composition shape these effects. Within this context, we aimed to assess the combined effects of warming gradients and acidification on macroalgae-herbivore interactions, using three cosmopolitan species, abundant in the Iberian Peninsula and closely associated in nature: the amphipod Melita palmata, the gastropod Gibbula umbilicalis, and the green macroalga Ulva rigida. Under two CO2 treatments (ΔCO2 ≃ 450 μatm) across a temperature gradient (13.5, 16.6, 19.9 and 22.1 °C), two mesocosm experiments were performed to assess grazer consumption rates and macroalgae-herbivore interaction, respectively. Warming (Experiment I and II) and acidification (Experiment II) prompted negative effects in grazer's survival and species-specific differences in consumption rates. M. palmata was shown to be the stronger grazer per biomass (but not per capita), and also the most affected by climate stressors. Macroalgae-herbivore interaction strength was markedly shaped by the temperature gradient, while simultaneous acidification lowered thermal optimal threshold. In the near future, warming and acidification are likely to strengthen top-down control, but further increases in disturbances may lead to bottom-up regulated communities. Finally, our results suggest that grazer assemblage composition may modulate future macroalgae-herbivore interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Sampaio
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal; MARE - Marine Environmental Science Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo 939, Cascais 2750-374, Portugal.
| | - I F Rodil
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal; Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland; Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - F Vaz-Pinto
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal
| | - A Fernández
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal
| | - F Arenas
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal
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24
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Future climate stimulates population out-breaks by relaxing constraints on reproduction. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33383. [PMID: 27625161 PMCID: PMC5022049 DOI: 10.1038/srep33383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
When conditions are stressful, reproduction and population growth are reduced, but when favourable, reproduction and population size can boom. Theory suggests climate change is an increasingly stressful environment, predicting extinctions or decreased abundances. However, if favourable conditions align, such as an increase in resources or release from competition and predation, future climate can fuel population growth. Tests of such population growth models and the mechanisms by which they are enabled are rare. We tested whether intergenerational increases in population size might be facilitated by adjustments in reproductive success to favourable environmental conditions in a large-scale mesocosm experiment. Herbivorous amphipod populations responded to future climate by increasing 20 fold, suggesting that future climate might relax environmental constraints on fecundity. We then assessed whether future climate reduces variation in mating success, boosting population fecundity and size. The proportion of gravid females doubled, and variance in phenotypic variation of male secondary sexual characters (i.e. gnathopods) was significantly reduced. While future climate can enhance individual growth and survival, it may also reduce constraints on mechanisms of reproduction such that enhanced intra-generational productivity and reproductive success transfers to subsequent generations. Where both intra and intergenerational production is enhanced, population sizes might boom.
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25
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Ghedini G, Russell BD, Falkenberg LJ, Connell SD. Beyond spatial and temporal averages: ecological responses to extreme events may be exacerbated by local disturbances. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1186/s40665-015-0014-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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26
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Species interactions can maintain resistance of subtidal algal habitats to an increasingly modified world. Glob Ecol Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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