1
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Beaty F, Gehman ALM, Brownlee G, Harley CDG. Not just range limits: Warming rate and thermal sensitivity shape climate change vulnerability in a species range center. Ecology 2023; 104:e4183. [PMID: 37786322 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Climate change manifests unevenly across space and time and produces complex patterns of stress for ecological systems. Species can also show substantial among-population variability in response to environmental change across their geographic range due to evolutionary processes. Explanatory factors or their proxies, such as temperature and latitude, help parse these sources of environmental and intraspecific variability; however, overemphasizing latitudinal trends can obscure the role of local environmental conditions in shaping population vulnerability to climate change. Focusing on the geographic center of a species range to disentangle latitude, we test the hypothesis that populations from warmer regions of a species range are more vulnerable to ocean warming. We conducted a mesocosm experiment and field reciprocal transplant with four populations of a marine snail, Nucella lamellosa, from two regions in British Columbia, Canada, that differ in thermal characteristics: the Central Coast, a cool region, and the Strait of Georgia, one of the warmest regions of this species' range and one that is warming faster than the Central Coast. Populations from the Strait of Georgia experienced growth reductions at contemporary summertime seawater temperatures in the laboratory and showed stark reductions in survival and growth under future seawater conditions and when outplanted at their native transplant sites. This indicates a high vulnerability to ocean warming, especially given the faster rate of ocean warming in this region. In contrast, populations from the cooler Central Coast demonstrated high performance at contemporary seawater temperatures and high growth and survival in projected future seawater temperatures and at their native outplant sites. Given their position within the geographic center of N. lamellosa's range, extirpation events in the vulnerable Strait of Georgia populations could compromise connectivity within the metapopulation and lead to gaps across this species' range. Overall, our study supports predictions that populations from warm regions of species ranges are more vulnerable to environmental warming, suggests that the Strait of Georgia and other inland or coastal seas could be focal points for climate change effects and ecological transformation, and emphasizes the importance of analyzing climate change vulnerability in the context of regional environmental data and throughout a species' range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Beaty
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Unceded xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for the Ocean and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Unceded xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alyssa-Lois M Gehman
- Institute for the Ocean and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Unceded xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Hakai Institute, Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Graham Brownlee
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Unceded xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher D G Harley
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Unceded xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for the Ocean and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Unceded xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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2
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Wadgymar SM, DeMarche ML, Josephs EB, Sheth SN, Anderson JT. Local adaptation: Causal agents of selection and adaptive trait divergence. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2022; 53:87-111. [PMID: 37790997 PMCID: PMC10544833 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012722-035231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Divergent selection across the landscape can favor the evolution of local adaptation in populations experiencing contrasting conditions. Local adaptation is widely observed in a diversity of taxa, yet we have a surprisingly limited understanding of the mechanisms that give rise to it. For instance, few have experimentally confirmed the biotic and abiotic variables that promote local adaptation, and fewer yet have identified the phenotypic targets of selection that mediate local adaptation. Here, we highlight critical gaps in our understanding of the process of local adaptation and discuss insights emerging from in-depth investigations of the agents of selection that drive local adaptation, the phenotypes they target, and the genetic basis of these phenotypes. We review historical and contemporary methods for assessing local adaptation, explore whether local adaptation manifests differently across life history, and evaluate constraints on local adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan L DeMarche
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Emily B Josephs
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Seema N Sheth
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Jill T Anderson
- Department of Genetics and Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602
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3
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Hays CG, Hanley TC, Hughes AR, Truskey SB, Zerebecki RA, Sotka EE. Local Adaptation in Marine Foundation Species at Microgeographic Scales. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2021; 241:16-29. [PMID: 34436968 DOI: 10.1086/714821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
AbstractNearshore foundation species in coastal and estuarine systems (e.g., salt marsh grasses, mangroves, seagrasses, corals) drive the ecological functions of ecosystems and entire biomes by creating physical structure that alters local abiotic conditions and influences species interactions and composition. The resilience of foundation species and the ecosystem functions they provide depends on their phenotypic and genetic responses to spatial and temporal shifts in environmental conditions. In this review, we explore what is known about the causes and consequences of adaptive genetic differentiation in marine foundation species over spatial scales shorter than dispersal capabilities (i.e., microgeographic scales). We describe the strength of coupling field and laboratory experiments with population genetic techniques to illuminate patterns of local adaptation, and we illustrate this approach by using several foundation species. Among the major themes that emerge from our review include (1) adaptive differentiation of marine foundation species repeatedly evolves along vertical (i.e., elevation or depth) gradients, and (2) mating system and phenology may facilitate this differentiation. Microgeographic adaptation is an understudied mechanism potentially underpinning the resilience of many sessile marine species, and this evolutionary mechanism likely has particularly important consequences for the ecosystem functions provided by foundation species.
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4
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Miner CM, Burnaford JL, Ammann K, Becker BH, Fradkin SC, Ostermann-Kelm S, Smith JR, Whitaker SG, Raimondi PT. Latitudinal variation in long-term stability of North American rocky intertidal communities. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2077-2093. [PMID: 34002377 PMCID: PMC8518646 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although long‐term ecological stability is often discussed as a community attribute, it is typically investigated at the species level (e.g. density, biomass), or as a univariate metric (e.g. species diversity). To provide a more comprehensive assessment of long‐term community stability, we used a multivariate similarity approach that included all species and their relative abundances. We used data from 74 sites sampled annually from 2006 to 2017 to examine broad temporal and spatial patterns of change within rocky intertidal communities along the west coast of North America. We explored relationships between community change (inverse of stability) and the following potential drivers of change/stability: (a) marine heatwave events; (b) three attributes of biodiversity: richness, diversity and evenness and (c) presence of the mussel, Mytilus californianus, a dominant space holder and foundation species in this system. At a broad scale, we found an inverse relationship between community stability and elevated water temperatures. In addition, we found substantial differences in stability among regions, with lower stability in the south, which may provide a glimpse into the patterns expected with a changing climate. At the site level, community stability was linked to high species richness and, perhaps counterintuitively, to low evenness, which could be a consequence of the dominance of mussels in this system. Synthesis. Assessments of long‐term stability at the whole‐community level are rarely done but are key to a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of climate change. In communities structured around a spatially dominant species, long‐term stability can be linked to the stability of this ‘foundation species’, as well as to traditional predictors, such as species richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Melissa Miner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer L Burnaford
- Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, CA, USA
| | - Karah Ammann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin H Becker
- U.S. National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes Station, CA, USA
| | - Steven C Fradkin
- U.S. National Park Service, Olympic National Park, Port Angeles, WA, USA
| | - Stacey Ostermann-Kelm
- U.S. National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring Division, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Jayson R Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Stephen G Whitaker
- U.S. National Park Service, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, CA, USA
| | - Peter T Raimondi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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5
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Exploring ecological specialization in pipefish using genomic, morphometric and ecological evidence. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
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6
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Benes K, Bracken MES. Interactive effects of large- and local-scale environmental gradients on phenotypic differentiation. Ecology 2020; 101:e03078. [PMID: 32542682 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Intraspecific differentiation across a steep environmental gradient depends on the relative influences of evolutionary, organismal, and environmental processes. But steep environmental gradients may be nested within larger-scale, regional conditions that could influence these processes at the local scale. Therefore, we hypothesized that phenotypic differentiation along a steep environmental gradient would vary among regions. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment on rocky intertidal shores, a habitat characterized by gradients in abiotic and biotic stress, in three regions of the Gulf of Maine. We used the ubiquitous and ecologically important rockweed species Fucus vesiculosus to quantify differentiation in growth, tissue nitrogen, and nitrogen productivity between upper and lower intertidal individuals. We found that phenotypic differentiation between tide heights varied among traits and regions. Although tissue nitrogen did not vary among any treatment combinations, growth and nitrogen productivity response were region specific. A strong effect of transplant height was found in all regions; however, an effect of home (source) height was only detectable in the central Gulf of Maine. Our study reveals that intraspecific responses to steep environmental gradients vary among populations, but the mechanisms underlying these patterns remain unknown. Given the roles that rockweeds play as food and habitat, these in situ patterns of growth and nitrogen productivity could have important community- and ecosystem-level consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylla Benes
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, California, 92697-2525, USA
- Davidson Honors College, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Matthew E S Bracken
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, California, 92697-2525, USA
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7
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Biogeography of Macrophyte Elemental Composition: Spatiotemporal Modification of Species-Level Traits. Ecosystems 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-020-00484-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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8
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Contolini GM, Reid K, Palkovacs EP. Climate shapes population variation in dogwhelk predation on foundational mussels. Oecologia 2020; 192:553-564. [PMID: 31932922 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04591-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Trait variation among populations is important for shaping ecological dynamics. In marine intertidal systems, seawater temperature, low tide emersion temperature, and pH can drive variation in traits and affect species interactions. In western North America, Nucella dogwhelks are intertidal drilling predators of the habitat-forming mussel Mytilus californianus. Nucella exhibit local adaptation, but it is not known to what extent environmental factors and genetic structure contribute to variation in prey selectivity among populations. We surveyed drilled mussels at sites across Oregon and California, USA, and used multiple regression and Mantel tests to test the effects of abiotic factors and Nucella neutral genetic relatedness on the size of mussels drilled across sites. Our results show that Nucella at sites characterized by higher and less variable temperature and pH drilled larger mussels. Warmer temperatures appear to induce faster handling time, and more stable pH conditions may prolong opportunities for active foraging by reducing exposure to repeated stressful conditions. In contrast, there was no significant effect of genetic relatedness on prey size selectivity. Our results emphasize the role of climate in shaping marine predator selectivity on a foundation species. As coastal climates change, predator traits will respond to localized environmental conditions, changing ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina M Contolini
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA.
| | - Kerry Reid
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| | - Eric P Palkovacs
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
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9
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Grabowski JH, Gouhier TC, Byers JE, Dodd LF, Hughes AR, Piehler MF, Kimbro DL. Regional environmental variation and local species interactions influence biogeographic structure on oyster reefs. Ecology 2019; 101:e02921. [PMID: 31652333 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Although species interactions are often assumed to be strongest at small spatial scales, they can interact with regional environmental factors to modify food web dynamics across biogeographic scales. The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a widespread foundational species of both ecological and economic importance. The oyster and its associated assemblage of fish and macroinvertebrates is an ideal system to investigate how regional differences in environmental variables influence trophic interactions and food web structure. We quantified multiple environmental factors, oyster reef properties, associated species, and trophic guilds on intertidal oyster reefs within 10 estuaries along 900 km of the southeastern United States. Geographical gradients in fall water temperature and mean water depth likely influenced regional (i.e., the northern, central and southern sections of the SAB) variation in oyster reef food web structure. Variation in the biomass of mud crabs, an intermediate predator, was mostly (84.1%) explained by reefs within each site, and did not differ substantially among regions; however, regional variation in the biomass of top predators and of juvenile oysters also contributed to biogeographic variation in food web structure. In particular, region explained almost half (40.2%) of the variation in biomass of predators of blue crab, a top predator that was prevalent only in the central region where water depth was greater. Field experiments revealed that oyster mortality due to predation was greatest in the central region, suggesting spatial variation in the importance of trophic cascades. However, high oyster recruitment in the middle region probably compensates for this enhanced predation, potentially explaining why relatively less variation (17.9%) in oyster cluster biomass was explained by region. Region also explained over half of the variation in biomass of mud crab predators (55.2%), with the southern region containing almost an order of magnitude more biomass than the other two regions. In this region, higher water temperatures in the fall corresponded with higher biomass of fish that consume mud crabs and of fish that consume juvenile and forage fish, whereas biomas of their prey (mud crabs and juvenile and forage fish, respectively) was generally low in the southern region. Collectively, these results show how environmental gradients interact with trophic cascades to structure food webs associated with foundation species across biogeographic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan H Grabowski
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, 430 Nahant Road, Nahant, Massachusetts, 01908, USA
| | - Tarik C Gouhier
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, 430 Nahant Road, Nahant, Massachusetts, 01908, USA
| | - James E Byers
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Luke F Dodd
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 3431 Arendell Street, Morehead City, 28557, USA
| | - A Randall Hughes
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, 430 Nahant Road, Nahant, Massachusetts, 01908, USA
| | - Michael F Piehler
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 3431 Arendell Street, Morehead City, 28557, USA
| | - David L Kimbro
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, 430 Nahant Road, Nahant, Massachusetts, 01908, USA
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10
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Silliman KE, Bowyer TK, Roberts SB. Consistent differences in fitness traits across multiple generations of Olympia oysters. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6080. [PMID: 29666427 PMCID: PMC5904129 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24455-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive evolution and plasticity are two mechanisms that facilitate phenotypic differences between populations living in different environments. Understanding which mechanism underlies variation in fitness-related traits is a crucial step in designing conservation and restoration management strategies for taxa at risk from anthropogenic stressors. Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) have received considerable attention with regard to restoration, however there is limited information on adaptive population structure. Using oysters raised under common conditions for up to two generations (F1s and F2s), we tested for evidence of divergence in reproduction, larval growth, and juvenile growth among three populations in Puget Sound, Washington. We found that the population with the fastest growth rate also exhibited delayed and reduced reproductive activity, indicating a potential adaptive trade-off. Our results corroborate and extend upon a previous reciprocal transplant study on F1 oysters from the same populations, indicating that variation in growth rate and differences in reproductive timing are consistent across both natural and laboratory environments and have a strongly heritable component that cannot be entirely attributed to plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tynan K Bowyer
- University of Chicago, Ecology and Evolution, Chicago, 60637, United States
| | - Steven B Roberts
- University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Seattle, 98195, United States
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11
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Pfister CA, Roy K, Wootton JT, McCoy SJ, Paine RT, Suchanek TH, Sanford E. Historical baselines and the future of shell calcification for a foundation species in a changing ocean. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:rspb.2016.0392. [PMID: 27306049 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seawater pH and the availability of carbonate ions are decreasing due to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, posing challenges for calcifying marine species. Marine mussels are of particular concern given their role as foundation species worldwide. Here, we document shell growth and calcification patterns in Mytilus californianus, the California mussel, over millennial and decadal scales. By comparing shell thickness across the largest modern shells, the largest mussels collected in the 1960s-1970s and shells from two Native American midden sites (∼1000-2420 years BP), we found that modern shells are thinner overall, thinner per age category and thinner per unit length. Thus, the largest individuals of this species are calcifying less now than in the past. Comparisons of shell thickness in smaller individuals over the past 10-40 years, however, do not show significant shell thinning. Given our sampling strategy, these results are unlikely to simply reflect within-site variability or preservation effects. Review of environmental and biotic drivers known to affect shell calcification suggests declining ocean pH as a likely explanation for the observed shell thinning. Further future decreases in shell thickness could have significant negative impacts on M. californianus survival and, in turn, negatively impact the species-rich complex that occupies mussel beds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Pfister
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kaustuv Roy
- Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - J Timothy Wootton
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sophie J McCoy
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Robert T Paine
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thomas H Suchanek
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA Bodega Marine Laboratory and Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Eric Sanford
- Bodega Marine Laboratory and Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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12
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Kroeker KJ, Sanford E, Rose JM, Blanchette CA, Chan F, Chavez FP, Gaylord B, Helmuth B, Hill TM, Hofmann GE, McManus MA, Menge BA, Nielsen KJ, Raimondi PT, Russell AD, Washburn L. Interacting environmental mosaics drive geographic variation in mussel performance and predation vulnerability. Ecol Lett 2016; 19:771-9. [PMID: 27151381 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although theory suggests geographic variation in species' performance is determined by multiple niche parameters, little consideration has been given to the spatial structure of interacting stressors that may shape local and regional vulnerability to global change. Here, we use spatially explicit mosaics of carbonate chemistry, food availability and temperature spanning 1280 km of coastline to test whether persistent, overlapping environmental mosaics mediate the growth and predation vulnerability of a critical foundation species, the mussel Mytilus californianus. We find growth was highest and predation vulnerability was lowest in dynamic environments with frequent exposure to low pH seawater and consistent food. In contrast, growth was lowest and predation vulnerability highest when exposure to low pH seawater was decoupled from high food availability, or in exceptionally warm locations. These results illustrate how interactions among multiple drivers can cause unexpected, yet persistent geographic mosaics of species performance, interactions and vulnerability to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristy J Kroeker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Eric Sanford
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis, Bodega Bay, CA, USA.,Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy M Rose
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Carol A Blanchette
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Francis Chan
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | | | - Brian Gaylord
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis, Bodega Bay, CA, USA.,Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brian Helmuth
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, USA
| | - Tessa M Hill
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis, Bodega Bay, CA, USA.,Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Gretchen E Hofmann
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Margaret A McManus
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Bruce A Menge
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Karina J Nielsen
- Romberg Tiburon Center, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Peter T Raimondi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Ann D Russell
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Libe Washburn
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.,Department of Geography, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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13
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Sea Star Wasting Disease in the Keystone Predator Pisaster ochraceus in Oregon: Insights into Differential Population Impacts, Recovery, Predation Rate, and Temperature Effects from Long-Term Research. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153994. [PMID: 27144391 PMCID: PMC4856327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) first appeared in Oregon in April 2014, and by June had spread to most of the coast. Although delayed compared to areas to the north and south, SSWD was initially most intense in north and central Oregon and spread southward. Up to 90% of individuals showed signs of disease from June-August 2014. In rocky intertidal habitats, populations of the dominant sea star Pisaster ochraceus were rapidly depleted, with magnitudes of decline in density among sites ranging from -2x to -9x (59 to 84%) and of biomass from -2.6x to -15.8x (60 to 90%) by September 2014. The frequency of symptomatic individuals declined over winter and persisted at a low rate through the spring and summer 2015 (~5-15%, at most sites) and into fall 2015. Disease expression included six symptoms: initially with twisting arms, then deflation and/or lesions, lost arms, losing grip on substrate, and final disintegration. SSWD was disproportionally higher in orange individuals, and higher in tidepools. Although historically P. ochraceus recruitment has been low, from fall 2014 to spring 2015 an unprecedented surge of sea star recruitment occurred at all sites, ranging from ~7x to 300x greater than in 2014. The loss of adult and juvenile individuals in 2014 led to a dramatic decline in predation rate on mussels compared to the previous two decades. A proximate cause of wasting was likely the "Sea Star associated Densovirus" (SSaDV), but the ultimate factors triggering the epidemic, if any, remain unclear. Although warm temperature has been proposed as a possible trigger, SSWD in Oregon populations increased with cool temperatures. Since P. ochraceus is a keystone predator that can strongly influence the biodiversity and community structure of the intertidal community, major community-level responses to the disease are expected. However, predicting the specific impacts and time course of change across west coast meta-communities is difficult, suggesting the need for detailed coast-wide investigation of the effects of this outbreak.
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14
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Chang D, Duda TF. Age-related association of venom gene expression and diet of predatory gastropods. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:27. [PMID: 26818019 PMCID: PMC4730619 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0592-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Venomous organisms serve as wonderful systems to study the evolution and expression of genes that are directly associated with prey capture. To evaluate the relationship between venom gene expression and prey utilization, we examined these features among individuals of different ages of the venomous, worm-eating marine snail Conus ebraeus. We determined expression levels of six genes that encode venom components, used a DNA-based approach to evaluate the identity of prey items, and compared patterns of venom gene expression and dietary specialization. Results C. ebraeus exhibits two major shifts in diet with age—an initial transition from a relatively broad dietary breadth to a narrower one and then a return to a broader diet. Venom gene expression patterns also change with growth. All six venom genes are up-regulated in small individuals, down-regulated in medium-sized individuals, and then either up-regulated or continued to be down-regulated in members of the largest size class. Venom gene expression is not significantly different among individuals consuming different types of prey, but instead is coupled and slightly delayed with shifts in prey diversity. Conclusion These results imply that changes in gene expression contribute to intraspecific variation of venom composition and that gene expression patterns respond to changes in the diversity of food resources during different growth stages. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0592-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Chang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. .,Department of Statistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. .,Present address: University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street -- Mail Stop EEBiology, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA.
| | - Thomas F Duda
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. .,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancόn, Republic of Panama.
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Chang D, Olenzek AM, Duda TF. Effects of geographical heterogeneity in species interactions on the evolution of venom genes. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:rspb.2014.1984. [PMID: 25788600 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Geographical heterogeneity in the composition of biotic interactions can create a mosaic of selection regimes that may drive the differentiation of phenotypes that operate at the interface of these interactions. Nonetheless, little is known about effects of these geographical mosaics on the evolution of genes encoding traits associated with species interactions. Predatory marine snails of the family Conidae use venom, a cocktail of conotoxins, to capture prey. We characterized patterns of geographical variation at five conotoxin genes of a vermivorous species, Conus ebraeus, at Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa, and evaluated how these patterns of variation are associated with geographical heterogeneity in prey utilization. All populations show distinct patterns of prey utilization. Three 'highly polymorphic' conotoxin genes showed significant geographical differences in allelic frequency, and appear to be affected by different modes of selection among populations. Two genes exhibited low levels of diversity and a general lack of differentiation among populations. Levels of diversity of 'highly polymorphic' genes exhibit a positive relationship with dietary breadth. The different patterns of evolution exhibited by conotoxin genes suggest that these genes play different roles in prey capture, and that some genes are more greatly affected by differences in predator-prey interactions than others. Moreover, differences in dietary breadth appear to have a greater influence on the differentiation of venoms than differences in the species of prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Chang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA Department of Statistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Amy M Olenzek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Thomas F Duda
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
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Bryson ES, Trussell GC, Ewanchuk PJ. Broad-scale geographic variation in the organization of rocky intertidal communities in the Gulf of Maine. ECOL MONOGR 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/13-1106.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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17
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Pespeni MH, Barney BT, Palumbi SR. DIFFERENCES IN THE REGULATION OF GROWTH AND BIOMINERALIZATION GENES REVEALED THROUGH LONG-TERM COMMON-GARDEN ACCLIMATION AND EXPERIMENTAL GENOMICS IN THE PURPLE SEA URCHIN. Evolution 2013; 67:1901-14. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2012] [Accepted: 11/26/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa H. Pespeni
- Department of Biology; Stanford University; Hopkins Marine Station Pacific Grove California 93950
| | - Bryan T. Barney
- Department of Biology; Stanford University; Hopkins Marine Station Pacific Grove California 93950
| | - Stephen R. Palumbi
- Department of Biology; Stanford University; Hopkins Marine Station Pacific Grove California 93950
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McWilliam RA, Minchinton TE, Ayre DJ. Despite prolonged association in closed populations, an intertidal predator does not prefer abundant local prey to novel prey. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Russell A. McWilliam
- Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Management; School of Biological Sciences; University of Wollongong; Wollongong; NSW; 2522; Australia
| | - Todd E. Minchinton
- Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Management; School of Biological Sciences; University of Wollongong; Wollongong; NSW; 2522; Australia
| | - David J. Ayre
- Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Management; School of Biological Sciences; University of Wollongong; Wollongong; NSW; 2522; Australia
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Pascoal S, Carvalho G, Creer S, Rock J, Kawaii K, Mendo S, Hughes R. Plastic and heritable components of phenotypic variation in Nucella lapillus: an assessment using reciprocal transplant and common garden experiments. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30289. [PMID: 22299035 PMCID: PMC3267715 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 12/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessment of plastic and heritable components of phenotypic variation is crucial for understanding the evolution of adaptive character traits in heterogeneous environments. We assessed the above in relation to adaptive shell morphology of the rocky intertidal snail Nucella lapillus by reciprocal transplantation of snails between two shores differing in wave action and rearing snails of the same provenance in a common garden. Results were compared with those reported for similar experiments conducted elsewhere. Microsatellite variation indicated limited gene flow between the populations. Intrinsic growth rate was greater in exposed-site than sheltered-site snails, but the reverse was true of absolute growth rate, suggesting heritable compensation for reduced foraging opportunity at the exposed site. Shell morphology of reciprocal transplants partially converged through plasticity toward that of native snails. Shell morphology of F(2)s in the common garden partially retained characteristics of the P-generation, suggesting genetic control. A maternal effect was revealed by greater resemblance of F(1)s than F(2)s to the P-generation. The observed synergistic effects of plastic, maternal and genetic control of shell-shape may be expected to maximise fitness when environmental characteristics become unpredictable through dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Pascoal
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Gary Carvalho
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Creer
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
| | - Jenny Rock
- Zoology Department, Centre for Science Communication, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kei Kawaii
- Research Center for the Pacific Islands, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Sonia Mendo
- Department of Biology, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Roger Hughes
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
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Menge BA, Hacker SD, Freidenburg T, Lubchenco J, Craig R, Rilov G, Noble M, Richmond E. Potential impact of climate-related changes is buffered by differential responses to recruitment and interactions. ECOL MONOGR 2011. [DOI: 10.1890/10-1508.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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21
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Abstract
Local adaptation in the sea was regarded historically as a rare phenomenon that was limited to a handful of species with exceptionally low dispersal potential. However, a growing body of experimental studies indicates that adaptive differentiation occurs in numerous marine invertebrates in response to selection imposed by strong gradients (and more complex mosaics) of abiotic and biotic conditions. Moreover, a surprisingly high proportion of the marine invertebrates known or suspected of exhibiting local adaptation are species with planktonic dispersal. Adaptive divergence among populations can occur over a range of spatial scales, including those that are fine-grained (i.e., meters to kilometers), reflecting a balance between scales of gene flow and selection. Addressing the causes and consequences of adaptive genetic differentiation among invertebrate populations promises to advance community ecology, climate change research, and the effective management of marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Sanford
- Department of Evolution and Ecology and Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Bodega Bay, California 94923, USA.
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