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Hot Rocks and Not-So-Hot Rocks on the Seashore: Patterns and Body-Size Dependent Consequences of Microclimatic
A R Gunderson1,2,3, M Abegaz1, A Y Ceja1
1Estuary & Ocean Science Center, Romberg Tiburon Campus, San Francisco State University, 3150 Paradise Drive, Tiburon, CA 94920, USA.
Integrative Organismal Biology (Oxford, England)
|April 1, 2021
Summary
Microclimatic temperature variation under rocks in intertidal zones affects porcelain crabs. Larger crabs face higher overheating risks at higher elevations, influencing their distribution and survival.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Marine Biology
Background:
- Microclimatic variation is a key ecological and evolutionary driver.
- Fine-scale temperature data are scarce, hindering understanding of microclimate impacts.
- Intertidal boulder shores are understudied regarding thermal variation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure fine-scale thermal variation under rocks in intertidal zones.
- To investigate the effects of thermal variation on porcelain crabs (Petrolisthes cinctipes).
- To analyze the interplay between microclimate and size-dependent thermal responses.
Main Methods:
- Measured fine-scale habitat temperatures over 18 months (424,426 records).
- Assessed physiological, behavioral, and demographic responses of Petrolisthes cinctipes.
- Used simulations parameterized with microclimate and organismal data.
Main Results:
- Microclimatic variation increased with intertidal elevation, especially heat extremes.
- Overheating risk for P. cinctipes rose with elevation and was size-dependent.
- High intertidal microclimates offered thermal refugia.
- Demographic data supported predictions of large crabs being rare at higher elevations.
Conclusions:
- Interactions between microclimatic variation and size-dependent thermal responses are ecologically significant.
- Microclimate influences the distribution and survival of intertidal organisms.
- Further research is needed to understand these complex interactions.
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