Regional adaptation defines sensitivity to future ocean acidification

Abstract

Physiological responses to temperature are known to be a major determinant of species distributions and can dictate the sensitivity of populations to global warming. In contrast, little is known about how other major global change drivers, such as ocean acidification (OA), will shape species distributions in the future. Here, by integrating population genetics with experimental data for growth and mineralization, physiology and metabolomics, we demonstrate that the sensitivity of populations of the gastropod Littorina littorea to future OA is shaped by regional adaptation. Individuals from populations towards the edges of the natural latitudinal range in the Northeast Atlantic exhibit greater shell dissolution and the inability to upregulate their metabolism when exposed to low pH, thus appearing most sensitive to low seawater pH. Our results suggest that future levels of OA could mediate temperature-driven shifts in species distributions, thereby influencing future biogeography and the functioning of marine ecosystems.

Thermal plasticity is independent of environmental history in an intertidal seaweed

“…Variability between individuals is emerging as an important theme in climate change studies due to its role as a driver of resilience or adaptation within populations and species (Calosi et al, ; CaraDonna, Iler, & Inouye, ; Inouye, ; Kroeker, Kordas, Crim, & Singh, ; Ovaskainen et al, ; Vargas et al, ). However, not only does individual variability exist in climate change responses, it may affect ecological function under climate stress (CaraDonna et al, ; McCoy & Kamenos, ; McCoy, Kamenos, Chung, Wootton, & Pfister, ).…”

“…Variability between individuals is emerging as an important theme in climate change studies due to its role as a driver of resilience or adaptation within populations and species (Calosi et al, 2017;CaraDonna, Iler, & Inouye, 2014;Inouye, 2008;Kroeker, Kordas, Crim, & Singh, 2010;Ovaskainen et al, 2013;Vargas et al, 2017 those that are more productive at elevated temperatures are also more productive in control temperatures (Clark et al, 2013).…”

Understanding the margin squeeze: Differentiation in fitness‐related traits between central and trailing edge populations of Corallina officinalis

“…In terrestrial studies, Franco et al (2006) showed that three out of four butterfly species are reported extinct or showed drastic distributional changes due to climate change along with habitat degradation and loss. Previous research has also found that different populations of the same species respond differently to altered environmental conditions (Bozinovic, Calosi, & Spicer, 2011;Calosi et al, 2017;Gaston, 2009). Previous research has also found that different populations of the same species respond differently to altered environmental conditions (Bozinovic, Calosi, & Spicer, 2011;Calosi et al, 2017;Gaston, 2009).…”

Can multi-generational exposure to ocean warming and acidification lead to the adaptation of life-history and physiology in a marine metazoan?

“…Even under strong selective pressure and with high levels of mortality, six generations appears to be too short a time frame to observe genetic adaptation in O. labronica. The differential survival of individuals shows that phenotypic plasticity is sufficient to prevent extinction at a population level and to provide a temporal buffer for genetic variation to respond via natural selection (PadillaGamiño et al, 2016;Calosi et al, 2016b). Measuring life-history and physiological traits simultaneously, using a multi-factorial experimental design, enables us to dissect how plasticity to one driver influences a species' response to another, from one generation to another.…”