Environmental Influences on Kelp Performance across the Reproductive Period: An Ecological Trade-Off between Gametophyte Survival and Growth?

Mohring, Margaret B.; Kendrick, Gary A.; Wernberg, Thomas; Rule, Michael; Vanderklift, Mathew A.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0065310

Cited by 35 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 50 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Moreover, the prevalence of E. radiata decreased in areas with mean temperatures higher than 20°C, consistent with experiments showing a negative relationship of growth of both microscopic (Mabin, Gribben, Fischer, & Wright, 2013;Mohring, Kendrick, Wernberg, Rule, & Vanderklift, 2013) and macroscopic (Bearham, Vanderklift, & Gunson, 2013;Hatcher, Kirkman, & Wood, 1987;Xiao et al, 2015) sporophytes at temperatures above 20-22°C. Our distribution records for M. pyrifera also match its survival threshold for gametophytes (23-25°C (tom Dieck (Bartsch), 1993) and the poor growth of adult sporophytes at 20°C (Buschmann et al, 2004;Rothäusler et al, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution models predict large contractions of habitat‐forming seaweeds in response to ocean warming

Martínez

Radford

Thomsen

et al. 2018

Diversity and Distributions

Self Cite

137

134

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim Understanding the relative importance of climatic and non‐climatic distribution drivers for co‐occurring, functionally similar species is required to assess potential consequences of climate change. This understanding is, however, lacking for most ecosystems. We address this knowledge gap and forecast changes in distribution for habitat‐forming seaweeds in one of the world's most species‐rich temperate reef ecosystems. Location The Great Southern Reef. The full extent of Australia's temperate coastline. Methods We assessed relationships between climatic and non‐climatic environmental data known to influence seaweed, and the presence of 15 habitat‐forming seaweeds. Distributional data (herbarium records) were analysed with MAXENT and generalized linear and additive models, to construct species distribution models at 0.2° spatial resolution, and project possible distribution shifts under the RCP 6.0 (medium) and 2.6 (conservative) emissions scenarios of ocean warming for 2100. Results Summer temperatures, and to a lesser extent winter temperatures, were the strongest distribution predictors for temperate habitat‐forming seaweeds in Australia. Projections for 2100 predicted major poleward shifts for 13 of the 15 species, on average losing 78% (range: 36%–100%) of their current distributions under RCP 6.0 and 62% (range: 27%–100%) under RCP 2.6. The giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) and three prominent fucoids (Durvillaea potatorum, Xiphophora chondrophylla and Phyllospora comosa) were predicted to become extinct from Australia under RCP 6.0. Many species currently distributed up the west and east coasts, including the dominant kelp Ecklonia radiata (71% and 49% estimated loss for RPC 6.0 and 2.6, respectively), were predicted to become restricted to the south coast. Main conclusions In close accordance with emerging observations in Australia and globally, our study predicted major range contractions of temperate seaweeds in coming decades. These changes will likely have significant impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning because large seaweeds are foundation species for 100s of habitat‐associated plants and animals, many of which are socio‐economically important and endemic to southern Australia.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution models predict large contractions of habitat‐forming seaweeds in response to ocean warming

Martínez

Radford

Thomsen

et al. 2018

Diversity and Distributions

Self Cite

137

134

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Dayton & Tegner 1984, Wernberg et al 2010. Ocean warming, particularly when coupled with other (potentially synergistic) stressors such as nutrient depletion and/or eutrophication (Russell & Connell 2007), ocean acidification (Wernberg et al 2009), increased frequency of storm or El Niño events (Dayton & Tegner 1984) and strong grazing pressure (Vanderklift et al 2009), is expected to erode the resilience of kelp beds via direct physiological effects (Wernberg et al 2011) and reduction of successful recruitment (Mabin et al 2013, Mohring et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thinning of kelp canopy modifies understory assemblages: the importance of canopy density

Flukes¹,

Johnson²,

Wright³

2014

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Kelp forests in southeastern Australia form canopies that support complex understory assemblages. Predicted levels of climate change in this region are likely to impact the health and distribution of these forests, potentially resulting in large-scale reductions in canopy cover. This study determined the impacts of a permanent reduction in canopy cover of the dominant kelp in this region, Ecklonia radiata, on the structure of understory algal and sessile invertebrate community assemblages. Changes in assemblages were determined over 12 mo in 3 treatments: unmanipulated, 33% canopy reduction and 66% canopy reduction. Clearance treatments were maintained to simulate the predicted effects of long-term climatedriven canopy reduction. Thinning of E. radiata canopy (especially 66% loss) caused a shift towards a foliose algal-dominated understory, with an associated loss of sponges, bryozoans, and encrusting algae. Canopy loss homogenised existing patchiness in understory assemblages, and high recruitment of E. radiata occurred at both levels of thinning. A 66% reduction in kelp canopy increased understory community diversity, but did not affect species richness. Thus, changes to understory assemblages occurred in a density-dependent manner, with 66% canopy loss required to alter the structure of assemblages at the community scale. Changes at this scale were subtle but important (with stability attributed to a combination of biogeography and resistance to perturbation driven by high diversity); and indicate that partial loss of kelp canopy under future climate change scenarios will shift understory communities towards a foliose algal-dominated state, which has important implications for sessile invertebrates and potentially future recruitment of kelp.

show abstract

“…, Mohring et al. ), but physiological performance may also vary with latitude due to adaptive compensation at various biochemical levels (Raven and Geider , Wernberg et al. ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, environmental controls may affect macroalgal performance differently depending on both the species and its biogeographic context. Many macroalgal species (particularly those at the upper extent of their thermal tolerance) are negatively affected by relatively small increases in temperature (e.g., Wernberg et al 2010, Mohring et al 2013), but physiological performance may also vary with latitude due to adaptive compensation at various biochemical levels Geider 2003, Wernberg et al 2010). Determining potential spatial or biogeographic variation in the physiological responses of macroalgae to environmental stressors is fundamental to predicting the likely impacts of environmental change collectively at the population scale.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic plasticity and biogeographic variation in physiology of habitat‐forming seaweed: response to temperature and nitrate

Flukes

Wright

Johnson

2015

Journal of Phycology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Southeastern Australian waters are warming at nearly four times the global average rate (~0.7°C · century(-1) ) driven by strengthening incursions of the warm oligotrophic East Australian Current. The growth rate hypothesis (GRH) predicts that nutrient depletion will impact more severely on seaweeds at high latitudes with compressed growth seasons. This study investigates the effects of temperature and nutrients on the ecophysiology of the habitat-forming seaweed Phyllospora comosa in a laboratory experiment using temperature (12°C, 17°C, 22°C) and nutrient (0.5, 1.0, 3.0 μM NO3 (-) ) scenarios representative of observed variation among geographic regions. Changes in growth, photosynthetic characteristics (via chlorophyll fluorescence), pigment content, tissue chemistry (δ(13) C, % C, % N, C:N) and nucleic acid characteristics (absolute RNA and DNA, RNA:DNA ratios) were determined in seaweeds derived from cool, high-latitude and warm, low-latitude portions of the species' range. Performance of P. comosa was unaffected by nitrate availability but was strongly temperature-dependent, with photosynthetic efficiency, growth, and survival significantly impaired at 22°C. While some physiological processes (photosynthesis, nucleic acid, and accessory pigment synthesis) responded rapidly to temperature, others (C/N dynamics, carbon concentrating processes) were largely invariant and biogeographic variation in these characteristics may only occur through genetic adaptation. No link was detected between nutrient availability, RNA synthesis and growth, and the GRH was not supported in this species. While P. comosa at high latitudes may be less susceptible to oligotrophy than predicted by the GRH, warming water temperatures will have deleterious effects on this species across its range unless rapid adaptation is possible.

show abstract

Environmental Influences on Kelp Performance across the Reproductive Period: An Ecological Trade-Off between Gametophyte Survival and Growth?

Cited by 35 publications

References 50 publications

Distribution models predict large contractions of habitat‐forming seaweeds in response to ocean warming

Distribution models predict large contractions of habitat‐forming seaweeds in response to ocean warming

Thinning of kelp canopy modifies understory assemblages: the importance of canopy density

Phenotypic plasticity and biogeographic variation in physiology of habitat‐forming seaweed: response to temperature and nitrate

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About