Patterns of Mass Mortality among Rocky Shore Invertebrates across 100 km of Northeastern Pacific Coastline

Jurgens, Laura J.; Rogers‐Bennett, Laura; Raimondi, Peter T.; Schiebelhut, Lauren M.; Dawson, Michael N; Grosberg, Richard K.; Gaylord, Brian

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0126280

Cited by 55 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 103 publications

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“…Harley ; Jurgens et al . ), and any reduction in their occurrence may therefore increase population‐level climate resilience. At the same time, activities that decrease foundation species cover – including harvest, trampling, pollution and coastal development (reviewed in Thompson et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical effects of habitat‐forming species override latitudinal trends in temperature

Jurgens

Gaylord

2017

Ecology Letters

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Latitudinal and elevational temperature gradients (LTG and ETG) play central roles in biogeographical theory, underpinning predictions of large-scale patterns in organismal thermal stress, species' ranges and distributional responses to climate change. Yet an enormous fraction of Earth's taxa live exclusively in habitats where foundation species modify temperatures. We examine little-explored implications of this widespread trend using a classic model system for understanding heat stresses - rocky intertidal shores. Through integrated field measurements and laboratory trials, we demonstrate that thermal buffering by centimetre-thick mussel and seaweed beds eliminates differences in stress-inducing high temperatures and associated mortality risk that would otherwise arise over 14° of latitude and ~ 1 m of shore elevation. These results reveal the extent to which physical effects of habitat-formers can overwhelm broad-scale thermal trends, suggesting a need to re-evaluate climate change predictions for many species. Notably, inhabitant populations may exhibit deceptive resilience to warming until refuge-forming taxa become imperiled.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical effects of habitat‐forming species override latitudinal trends in temperature

Jurgens

Gaylord

2017

Ecology Letters

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“…Because of local Leptasterias mass mortality events in November 2010 and August 2011 (Gravem ; Jurgens et al . ), Leptasterias were collected 104 km north of Horseshoe Cove at Point Arena (38° 54′ 47·48″ N, 123° 42′ 37·83″ W). Leptasterias were maintained in flow‐through tanks and fed small Tegula and Littorina spp.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Medium to large seastars (2-5 cm diameter across two longest opposing arms) were added to half of the tide pools and were contained in small mesh pouches of plastic window screen that were affixed to eyebolts drilled into the substrate to prevent escape. Because of local Leptasterias mass mortality events in November 2010 and August 2011 (Gravem 2015;Jurgens et al 2015), Leptasterias were collected 104 km north of Horseshoe Cove at Point Arena (38°54 0 47Á48″ N, 123°42 0 37Á83″ W). Leptasterias were maintained in flow-through tanks and fed small Tegula and Littorina spp.…”

Section: T M I I F I E L D E X P E R I M E N T Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Prey state alters trait‐mediated indirect interactions in rocky tide pools

Gravem

Morgan

2016

Functional Ecology

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Summary1. Several studies on trait-mediated indirect interactions (TMIIs) have shown that predators can initiate trophic cascades by altering prey behaviour. Although it is well recognized that individual prey state alters antipredator and foraging behaviour, few studies explore whether this state-dependent prey behaviour can alter the strength of the ensuing tritrophic cascade. Here, we link state-dependent individual behaviour to community processes by experimentally testing whether hunger level and body size of prey altered antipredator behaviour and thus changed the strength of trophic cascades between predators and primary producers. 2. In rocky intertidal tide pools on the California Coast, waterborne cues from the predatory seastar Leptasterias spp. (Stimpson) can cause the herbivorous snail Tegula (Chlorostoma) funebralis (A. Adams) to reduce grazing and flee tide pools, resulting in positive indirect effects on tide pool microalgae. 3. However, we show that the strength of this behaviourally-mediated cascade may be contingent on prey hunger level and body size. During short field experiments at low tide, mediumsized snails that were either newly collected from the field or fed for 1 week in the laboratory mediated strong TMIIs because they grazed less when seastars were present. In contrast, no TMIIs occurred when medium-sized snails had been starved for 1 week because they continued grazing regardless of seastar presence. Newly collected small snails fled from seastars but did not mediate cascades because they ate little algae. Despite reaching an apparent size refuge from predation, many newly collected large snails fled from seastars, but those individuals that remained tended to graze the algae more quickly, resulting in unexpected negative indirect effects of seastars on algae cover. The implication of this pattern for the natural system is unclear. 4. Because average hunger level and size of snails vary over time and space in nature, a mosaic of TMII strength may exist. 5. Overall, the strength of tritrophic TMIIs in tide pools depended on individual prey state, supporting model predictions and adding to sparse empirical evidence. This outcome suggests that patterns occurring system-wide over the long term may be influenced by the state-dependent decisions made by the individuals present.

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“…genetic drift) in local populations of P. ochraceus. Of course, there are other forms of mortality in sea stars like P. ochraceus (Jurgens et al 2015), and so it is still likely that we are seeing an indirect interaction between recent die-offs and individual-level responses that appear to be genotype dependent. Preliminary evidence (L.S., unpublished observations) suggest higher frequency of the ins allele at some California sites, and some of our sampled locations had higher frequencies of SSWD after tissues were harvested.…”

Section: Evolutionary Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Is there an association between elongation factor 1-α overdominance in the seastar Pisaster ochraceus and “seastar wasting disease”?

Wares¹,

Schiebelhut²

2015

Preprint

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View the peer-reviewed version (peerj.com/articles/1876), which is the preferred citable publication unless you specifically need to cite this preprint.Wares JP, Schiebelhut LM. 2016. What doesn't kill them makes them stronger:an association between elongation factor 1-α overdominance in the sea star Pisaster ochraceus and "sea star wasting disease". PeerJ 4:e1876 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1876What doesn't kill them makes them stronger: An association between elongation factor 1-α overdominance in the sea star Pisaster ochraceus and "sea star wasting disease"In recent years, a massive plague has killed millions of sea stars, of many different species, along the Pacific coast of North America. This disease, known as 'sea star wasting disease' (SSWD), is thought to be caused by viral infection. In the affected sea star Pisaster ochraceus, previous work had identified that the elongation factor 1-α (EF1A) locus harbored an intronic insertion allele that is lethal when homozygous yet appears to be maintained at moderate frequency in populations through increased fitness for heterozygotes. The environmental conditions supporting this increased fitness are unknown, but overdominance is often associated with disease. Here, we evaluate populations of P. ochraceus to identify the relationship between SSWD and EF1A genotype.Our data suggest that there may be significantly decreased infection or mortality rates in individuals that are heterozygous at this locus. These results suggest further studies to understand the functional relationship between diversity at EF1A and survival in P. 10 In recent years, a massive plague has killed millions of sea stars, of many different species, 11 along the Pacific coast of North America. This disease, known as 'sea star wasting disease' 12 (SSWD), is thought to be caused by viral infection. In the affected sea star Pisaster 13 ochraceus, previous work had identified that the elongation factor 1-α locus harbored an 14 intronic insertion allele that is lethal when homozygous yet appears to be maintained at 15 moderate frequency in populations through increased fitness for heterozygotes. The 16 environmental conditions supporting this increased fitness are unknown, but 17 overdominance is often associated with disease. Here, we evaluate populations of P. 18 ochraceus to identify the relationship between SSWD and EF1A genotype. Our data suggest 19 that there may be significantly decreased infection or mortality rates in individuals that are 20 heterozygous at this locus. These results suggest further studies to understand the 21 functional relationship between diversity at EF1A and survival in P. ochraceus.

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Patterns of Mass Mortality among Rocky Shore Invertebrates across 100 km of Northeastern Pacific Coastline

Cited by 55 publications

References 103 publications

Physical effects of habitat‐forming species override latitudinal trends in temperature

Physical effects of habitat‐forming species override latitudinal trends in temperature

Prey state alters trait‐mediated indirect interactions in rocky tide pools

Is there an association between elongation factor 1-α overdominance in the seastar Pisaster ochraceus and “seastar wasting disease”?

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