Evolution of Marine Organisms under Climate Change at Different Levels of Biological Organisation

Abstract

Abstract:Research to date has suggested that both individual marine species and ecological processes are expected to exhibit diverse responses to the environmental effects of climate change. Evolutionary responses can occur on rapid (ecological) timescales, and yet studies typically do not consider the role that adaptive evolution will play in modulating biological responses to climate change. Investigations into such responses have typically been focused at particular biological levels (e.g., cellular, population, community), often lacking interactions among levels. Since all levels of biological organisation are sensitive to global climate change, there is a need to elucidate how different processes and hierarchical interactions will influence species fitness. Therefore, predicting the responses of communities and populations to global change will require multidisciplinary efforts across multiple levels of hierarchy, from the genetic and cellular to communities and ecosystems. Eventually, this may allow us to establish the role that acclimatisation and adaptation will play in determining marine community structures in future scenarios.

Antarctic crustacean grazer assemblages exhibit resistance following exposure to decreased pH

“…It is now recognized that to fully understand these effects, there is a need for experimental data to be collected at multiple levels of biological organization (Harvey et al 2014), making the present study timely. Further studies are required to elucidate mechanisms, which drive the resistance of grazer assemblages to decreased pH.…”

“…This decrease is predicted to drop by as much as 0.4 units by 2100 (IPCC 2013) and has been termed ocean acidification (Caldeira and Wickett 2003). Initial assessments of ocean acidification focused on single organism responses, particularly those species supporting CaCO 3 shells and skeletal structures throughout various life history stages (reviewed by Doney et al 2009;Byrne 2011;Harvey et al 2014).…”

Impact of Ocean Acidification on Marine Organisms—Unifying Principles and New Paradigms

“…In the commercially important mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, increasing surface seawater temperature is expected to have more of an adverse impact on larval stages than ocean acidification [5]. Hilmi et al [9] call for the urgent need for this type of work on the impacts of ocean acidification on harvested (industrial, recreational, and artisanal fishing) and cultured species (aquaculture) so that we can assess the socioeconomic consequences of ocean acidification, whilst Harvey et al [2] call for integrated research from the genetic to the ecosystems level to establish the role of acclimatisation and adaptation in community and population responses to global change.…”

“…They review the potential evolutionary strategies available to marine organisms under climate change at different levels of biological organisation, since most studies do not consider the role that adaptive evolution will play in modulating biological responses to climate change [2]. Their review compares investigations that show both individual species and ecological processes exhibit diverse responses climate change.…”

“…These researchers highlight the point that since all levels of biological organisation are sensitive to global climate change, there is a need to elucidate how hierarchical interactions will influence species fitness. Harvey et al [2] conclude that in order to establish the role of acclimatisation and adaptation in community and population responses to global change collaborations are needed to integrate research at genetic, cellular, community and ecosystems levels.…”