Environmental impacts on the structural integrity of British rhodoliths

Abstract

Coralline algae form complex habitats which are biodiversity hotspots. Experimental studies suggest that climate change will decrease coralline algal structural integrity. These experiments, however, lack information on local morphological variability and how much structural change would be needed to threaten habitat formation. Here, using finite element modelling, we assess variability in cellular structure and chemical composition of the carbonate skeleton of four coralline algal species from Britain in contemporary and historical specimens collected over the last 130 years. Cellular and mineral properties are highly variable within species, between sites and through time, with structurally weaker cells in the southern species and contemporary material compared to northern taxa and historical material. Yet, temporal differences in strength were smaller than spatial differences. Our work supports long term experiments which show the adaptation potential of this group. Our results suggest that future anthropogenic climate change may lead to loss of habitat complexity in the south and expansion of structurally weaker southern species into northern sites.

Using Museum collections to assess the impact of industrialization on mussel (Mytilus edulis) calcification

“…For example short-term, laboratory experiments on coralline algae reveal carbonate driven changes to internal cellular structure weakening structural integrity [ 12 ]. However, utilizing museum collections show that the internal cellular and structural changes over the last 130 years are not as large as laboratory experiments imply [ 14 ], indicating acclimation potential, which is also seen in long term studies [ 15 ]. Long-term mussel studies are less clear.…”