Understanding the margin squeeze: Differentiation in fitness-related traits between central and trailing edge populations of Corallina officinalis ...

• Main Authors: Kolzenburg, Regina, Nicastro, Katy R, McCoy, Sophie J, Ford, Alex T, Zardi, Gerardo I, Ragazzola, Federica
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2019
• Subjects: calcification; Climate change; common garden experiment; coralline algae; intertidal; Photosynthesis; P-I curve; uncoupling; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.899568; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.899568

Assessing population responses to climate‐related environmental change is key to understanding the adaptive potential of the species as a whole. Coralline algae are critical components of marine shallow water ecosystems where they function as important ecosystem engineers. Populations of the calcifying algae Corallina officinalis from the centre (southern UK) and periphery (northern Spain) of the North Atlantic species natural distribution were selected to test for functional differentiation in thermal stress response. Physiological measurements of calcification, photosynthesis, respiration, growth rates, oxygen and calcification evolution curves were performed using closed cell respirometry methods. Species identity was genetically confirmed via DNA barcoding. Through a common garden approach, we identified distinct vulnerability to thermal stress of central and peripheral populations. Southern populations showed a decrease in photosynthetic rate under environmental conditions of central locations and ...