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Thermal Limits Determination for Zooplankton Using a Heat Block
Published on: November 18, 2022
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Heatwave restructures marine intertidal communities across a stress gradient
Matthew A Whalen1,2, Samuel Starko1,3, Sandra C Lindstrom1,2
1Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Ecology
|March 10, 2023
Summary
Marine heatwaves restructure intertidal ecosystems, causing significant shifts in species zonation and abundance. These warming events can reduce overall ecosystem habitability, particularly in diverse coastal environments.
Area of Science:
- Marine ecology
- Climate change impacts
- Ecosystem dynamics
Background:
- Abiotic stress structures ecosystems, with climate change posing a significant threat.
- Warming temperatures are expected to shift species distributions along abiotic gradients.
- Complex community-scale impacts of extreme warming in heterogeneous landscapes are anticipated.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the effects of a multiyear marine heatwave on intertidal community dynamics and zonation.
- Analyze shifts in species abundance and distribution on a rocky coastline.
- Understand the community-level consequences of extreme warming events.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an 8-year time series dataset with high seaweed taxonomic resolution (116 taxa).
- Established the dataset 3 years prior to the marine heatwave event.
- Documented shifts in zonation and population abundance to assess community reorganization.
Main Results:
- Observed major shifts in zonation and abundance, leading to substantial community reorganization.
- Documented a shift in primary production away from upper elevations due to seaweed decline and invertebrate increase.
- Found that seaweed cover at low elevations remained stable or recovered rapidly, with species-specific fluctuations.
Conclusions:
- Intense warming events can restructure ecological dominance patterns, not just shift zonation uniformly.
- Extreme warming can reduce the total habitability of ecosystems, especially at the edges of abiotic gradients.
- Marine heatwaves have complex and significant impacts on intertidal community structure and function.
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