Thermal acclimation capacity for four Arctic marine benthic species

• Published in: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
• Main Authors: Richard, J., Morley, S.A., Deloffre, Julien, Peck, L.S.
• Other Authors: British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière (M2C), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rouen Normandie (UNIROUEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2012
• Subjects: Warming; Temperature; Polar; CTmax; Limit; Climate change; [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces; environment; [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes; Antarctic; Arctic; Antarc*; Sea ice; Serripes groenlandicus
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00737962; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2012.01.010

International audience There are areas on Earth where it is pressing that we obtain an understanding of the thermal limits and acclimation capacities of the species living there. These are the zones where environmental temperatures are currently changing more rapidly and are predicted to continue to do so in the future. The foremost amongst these is possibly the Arctic, where in some areas air temperatures have risen on average by over 1.7 °C in the last 30 years, and sea ice cover has markedly decreased in recent decades. Here we present data on responses of 4 Arctic marine benthic species to elevated temperature. There is very strong evidence that the urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis and the gastropod Margarites helicinus can acclimate to 10.3 °C, and some evidence that some individuals of the bivalve Serripes groenlandicus and the amphipod Onisimus sp. can also acclimate to this temperature. This is more than 3 °C higher than experienced maximum summer temperatures. Acclimation to 7.1 °C produced reductions in acute upper temperature limits (CTmax) in all species, whereas acclimation to 10.3 °C produced increases. Although data are still limited, a capacity to acclimate to temperatures 3-5 °C above those experienced in the summer is similar to capacities of cold temperate species and higher than reported values for tropical or Antarctic marine invertebrates.