Aim:We assess the spatial distribution of a suite of coastal biophysical characteristics and how their variability is related to the distribution and geographic range of a diverse assemblage of coastal benthic species with different larval dispersal strategies.Location: South-eastern Pacific (SEP) coast between 18°20′S and 42°35′S.Methods: Biophysical variability was assessed using chlorophyll-a concentration, sea surface temperature and the signal of turbid river plumes derived from MODIS onboard the Aqua satellite. We established the dominant spatial components using wavelet and coherence analysis, and evaluated the biogeographic structure of 51 rocky intertidal species sampled over~2,600 km along the SEP using multivariate classification and regression trees.Results: Biogeographic breaks detected here were consistent with recent biogeographic classification schemes. Distribution breakpoints for species with lecithotrophic larvae clustered around 30°S. We observed a previously unreported break in the distribution of species with planktotrophic larval dispersal strategies around 35°S. These breaks are related to coherence in the spatial structure of sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a and river outflow over different temporal scales. Regions with similar biophysical characteristics, and the breaks the separate them, are in striking agreement with the biogeographic patterns revealed by the multivariate classification trees. Main conclusions:Our results reconcile patterns of biogeographic structure reported for other groups of species along the SEP coast. We suggest that river outflow, a poorly studied coastal environmental forcing, may play an important role

Title: Warmer temperatures decrease size, dispersal ability and speciation rate in Clupeiform fish 2There is an ongoing debate as to whether fish body size will decrease with global warming and how changes in body may impact dispersal ability and speciation rate. Theory predicts that, when fish face warmer temperatures, they grow to smaller adult sizes, undergo a reduction in their ability to move, and increase their probability of speciation. However, evaluations of such predictions are hampered owing to the lack of empirical data spanning both wide temporal and geographical scales. Here, using phylogenetic methods, temperature, and 21,795 globally distributed occurrences for 158 Clupeiform fish species, we show that smaller fish have occurred in warmer waters for over 150 million years, across marine and freshwater realms. Smaller fish have historically moved the shortest distances and at low speeds. In addition, small fish display the lowest probability of giving rise to new species. Further, we found that fish species that displayed high speeds of geographical movement and rates of size evolution experienced higher rates of temperature change in their lineage. These results together with global warming predicts a future where smaller Clupeiform fish that have reduced ability to move over aquatic systems will be more prevalent. In turn, this will result in fewer species contributing to global biodiversity.A great deal of scientific research seeks to anticipate the impact of human-induced global warming on Earth's biodiversity [1][2][3][4][5] . Compelling evidence suggests that global warming will increase species extinction risk [6][7][8] , but there are hints in the literature pointing to the idea that species have several alternative strategies which might enable them to survive such adversity 2,3,9,10 . Local adaptive changes to decrease body size or tracking of suitable environmental conditions over geographic space have emerged as common responses allowing species survival, especially in fish 8,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . However, it is unknown to what extent fish get smaller with warming 20 and how these climate-induced changes in size will impact the ability of species to track optimal environmental conditions over aquatic systems, i.e., species dispersal ability 4,5,10 . Furthermore, the consequences that the interaction between temperature, size, and dispersal ability may have on speciation is less explored, even though speciation is the principal buffer preventing biodiversity loss in the face of species extinction 21 .Based on previous knowledge, we expect a positive association between fish size and dispersal ability given that bigger species are more efficient in terms of consuming energy for long-distance dispersals 22 , and their correlated life history strategies promote resilience under unpredictable environments 23 . Moreover, population genetics theory postulates that organisms with a high capacity to move can increase the gene flow within species; predicting a low probability of ...

1. While floating near the sea surface plastic debris interacts with a number of external factors, including many different organisms. Seabirds have the most extensive documented history of interactions with plastics, through ingestion, entanglement, and nest construction. 2. In the present study, eight seabird species from the South Pacific Ocean were used as a proxy to determine potential patterns of removal of marine plastic debris, and three hypotheses were tested in relation to their feeding habits and nesting areas. 3. Plastics from abiotic compartments (Chilean continental coast, South Pacific Gyre, and Rapa Nui beaches) and biotic compartments (surface-feeding seabirds, diving seabirds, and nesting areas) were compared, according to their type, colour, shape, and density. 4. Continental beaches had a relatively wide range of colours and shapes, with many non-buoyant plastics. Samples from the South Pacific Gyre (SPG) and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) beaches comprised mainly hard, rounded, buoyant, and white/grey plastics. 5. These results indicate that the composition of floating plastics from terrestrial sources changes during transport with oceanic currents, reducing the proportion of prey-like plastics present in the subtropical gyres. 6. The stomach contents of surface-feeding and diving seabirds were dominated by hard, white/grey, and round plastic items, similar to plastics from the SPG, suggesting non-selective (accidental or secondary) ingestion. 7. Nesting areas had a more variable composition of brightly coloured plastics, suggesting a pattern of selective removal of plastics by seabirds, probably from oceanic sources. 8. The present study reveals extensive interactions of seabirds with plastics on a broader scale, which is highly relevant given that the impacts of plastics on seabirds are increasing worldwide, compromising their efficient conservation.