Climate change and latitudinal patterns of body temperature in rocky intertidal invertebrates

栖息在岩石潮间带环境中的物种是海洋起源的，但在低潮期间必须经常与陆地环境竞争。因此，这些无脊椎动物和藻类被认为生活在非常接近其热耐受极限的地方，由于气候变化而导致的热应力增加可能导致其生长，生存和分布模式的变化。最近的生理学研究强调，对许多潮间带生物的热损伤主要发生在低潮时的空气暴露期间，此时体温受多种气候因素的影响。在空中暴露期间经历的温度远远超过在浸没期间经历的温度，并且通常与空气温度有很大差异。我们从对温度的生理反应推断社区的能力？因此，由于我们对野外条件下的体温、体温在空间和时间上的变化以及物种之间的模式如何变化的知识有限，规模化过程受到阻碍。贻贝加州贻贝，在岩石潮间带生态系统中的竞争优势的体温的规模模式。在东北太平洋的测量表明，纬度模式是非常复杂的，而且，由于一致的模式，在低潮的时间，北方网站往往更有可能是热应力比南方的网站。此外，潮汐制度的年际变化模型表明，在未来2？这些北方“热点”的5年热应力水平可能接近20？年最大。这些结果对于我们在何处以及何时寻找气候变化对潮间带生态系统影响的证据具有重要意义，并表明在不久的将来可能会在几个地点观察到影响。并将产生与生态上重要的潮间带物种相关的连续6年以上的温度记录。这项研究将解决几个明确的预测来自我以前的研究，关于贻贝体温的空间和时间模式。作为评估这些热应力变化的生态影响的一种手段，Helmarts博士将监测贻贝的地带性高度，并预测北方几个“热点”地带性的向下移动。最后，他将应用生物物理技术用于贻贝，以探索腹足类Nucella的热生态，和贻贝的重要捕食者。该项目产生了一套独特的广泛地理范围内的温度模式数据，是目前监测和预测气候变化对东北太平洋潮间带体温潜在影响的最佳手段。因为预计北方“热点”的暴露时间将在未来2年内达到20年的最大值。5年来，有一个关键的需要，以保持数据流的连续性，将在本研究的过程中产生。更广泛的影响：作为一个正在进行的合作的一部分，学生在Helmont实验室将与K？12教师根据他们的研究、评分规则和评估协议制定课程计划。具体来说，他们将创建活动，让学生调查有关气候变化的概念，温度对生物体的影响，物种分布模式和潮汐周期的动态。材料将明确链接到国家和国家K？12个科学和数学标准，并将张贴在一个推广网站。教师将在第一年与Helmont实验室合作，建立实验，并在研究过程中与小组保持联系。

Species inhabiting rocky intertidal environments are of marine origin, but must regularly contend with the terrestrial environment during low tide. As a result, these invertebrates and algae are thought to live very close to their thermal tolerance limits, and increases in thermal stress due to climate change could lead to changes in their growth, survival, and distribution patterns. Recent physiological studies have emphasized that thermal damage to many intertidal organisms occurs primarily during aerial exposure at low tide, when body temperatures are driven by multiple climatic factors. Temperatures experienced during aerial exposure far exceed those during submersion, and are often substantially different from air temperature. Our ability to extrapolate from physiological responses to temperature to community?scale processes is thus hampered by our limited knowledge of what body temperatures are under field conditions, how body temperatures change in space and time, and how patterns might vary between species.Dr. Helmuth's previous work has focused on latitudinal?scale patterns of body temperatures of the mussel Mytilus californianus, a competitive dominant in rocky intertidal ecosystems. Measurements in the northeast Pacific show that latitudinal patterns are highly complex, and that, because of consistent patterns in the timing of low tides, northern sites are often more likely to be thermally stressful than are southern sites. Furthermore, models of interannual variability in tidal regimes suggest that in the next 2?5 years levels of thermal stress at these northern "hot spots" may be approaching a 20?year maximum. These results have significant consequences for where and when we look for evidence of the effects of climate change in intertidal ecosystems, and suggest that impacts may potentially be observable in the near future at several sites.The project will extend on ongoing study of temperature patterns at 15 sites spanning a 160 range of latitude, and will produce a continuous 6+ year record of temperatures relevant to an ecologically important intertidal species. The study will address several explicit predictions stemming from my previous research, regarding spatial and temporal patterns of mussel body temperatures. As a means of assessing the ecological impacts of these changes in thermal stress, Dr. Helmuth will monitor zonation heights of mussels, and predict downward shifts in zonation at several northern "hot spots." Finally, he will apply biophysical techniques used for mussels to explore the thermal ecology of the gastropod Nucella, and important predator of Mytilus. The project has produced a unique data set of temperature patterns over a wide geographic scale, and is currently the best means available for monitoring and predicting the potential effects of climate change on intertidal body temperatures in the NE Pacific. Because exposure times at northern "hot spots" are predicted to reach a 20year maximum within the next 2?5 years, there is a critical need to maintain the continuity of the data stream that will be produced during the course of this study.Broader Impacts: As part of an ongoing collaboration, students in the Helmuth lab will work with a K?12 teacher to develop lesson plans based on their research, grading rubrics and assessment protocols. Specifically, they will create activities that allow students to investigate concepts related to climate change, the effects of temperature on organisms, species distribution patterns, and the dynamics of tidal cycles. Materials will be explicitly linked to state and national K?12 science and math standards, and will be posted on a outreach website. The teacher will work with the Helmuth lab in the field in year one to set up experiments, and will remain in contact with the group during the course of the study.