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Projekt Druckansicht

Prognostizierung der zukünftigen Verbreitung einer Schlüsselart an einem Brennpunkt der Ozeanerwärmung

Antragsteller Dr. Michael Oellermann
Fachliche Zuordnung Ökologie und Biodiversität der Tiere und Ökosysteme, Organismische Interaktionen
Physik, Chemie und Biologie des Meeres
Förderung Förderung von 2016 bis 2020
Projektkennung Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 326692763
 
Erstellungsjahr 2022

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

Redistribution of species triggered by anthropogenic warming is a global concern. Marine species shifting their range not only disturb ecosystems but can also pose serious threats to local food supplies and industries. Unfortunately, effective adaptation responses by conservation and fisheries managers lack sufficient information about the combined responses of species to future warming and novel species interaction arising from distribution shifts. This study addressed this by investigating how physiology, behaviour and novel species interactions mutually drive species redistribution in an Australian warming hotspot, using a large benthic predator - the eastern rock lobster - as model. The findings of this project showed that physiological, behavioural, and ecological factors act in concert to determine the climate-driven range expansion of the eastern rock lobster (Sagmariasus verreauxi). Physiological limitation cascading from cellularto overall animal metabolism set fundamental limits to S. verreauxi distribution. However, energy metabolism could also adjust dynamically and posed no clear distribution barrier for mature lobsters to current and future thermal conditions in South-East Australia. Instead, biotic resistance by the resident competitors - the southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii), appeared to play an important role to the range-expansion of post-larval S. verreauxi - even at warmer future temperatures. However, S. verreauxi showed surprising behavioural adjustments by selecting suboptimal environmental temperatures. This may reduce growth, but aids to lower energy and feed requirements, and as a result relax the impacts of competitive food limitation. The findings of this project suggest that physiological capacities do not solely limit expansion of mature S. verreauxi, but also biotic resistance caused by competitors. S. verreauxi`s further expansion will likely depend on the well-being of the resident lobster J. edwardsii, which can cope with average future warming, but with reduced scope for additional pressures. Thus, if resident J. edwardsii suffers from the combined impact of warming and other stressors, such as disease, fishing or heat waves, S. verreauxi may fill vacant niches and establish in South-East Australia. As a result, resource-constrained management actions may focus on resident rather than range-shifting species. Overall, this case study showed that by decoding the complex interaction of individual and ecological responses to ongoing climate change, we will be able to better predict and respond more effectively to climate-driven species redistribution.

Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)

 
 

Zusatzinformationen

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