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Size and position (sometimes) matter: small-scale patterns of heat stress associated with two co-occurring mussels with different thermoregulatory behaviour

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Abstract

Heat-related mass mortalities and local extinctions are expected to rise as the frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme heat events increase due to climate change, particularly in the case of sessile or sedentary species that cannot relocate. Little is known, however, of how biotic factors, such as the size and non-motile behaviour of individuals, contribute to small-scale variation in susceptibility to heat-related mortality during such events. We used infrared thermography to investigate how manipulated mussel bed size and the size structure of individuals within beds influence small-scale variability in the body temperatures of two intertidal mussel species with different thermoregulatory behaviours (gaping vs. non-gaping) during simulated extreme heat conditions. At times, body temperatures of small individuals reached higher temperatures than large individuals, irrespective of mussel bed size, though this was more apparent for the non-gaping species. Average body temperatures and heating rates of individuals within large mussel beds were generally greater than for individuals within small mussel beds, irrespective of species or individual size. This pattern seems to reflect an effect of the greater circumference/area ratio for small mussel beds as individuals on the windward side of all beds displayed convective cooling and body temperatures 3–5 °C cooler than those on the leeward side. Such high levels of inter-individual variability in body temperatures at small spatial scales suggest the need for a greater appreciation and inclusion of biotic factors in assessing susceptibility of populations to climate change.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Jaqui Trassierra for assistance in the field, Gray Williams for contributing to early discussions of the project and Elizabeth Lathlean for constructive comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. This work is based upon research supported by the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation. Funding, an Australian Research Council’s Discovery Project (project number DP0988554), and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT; IF/01413/2014/CP1217/CT0004). School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong is also thanked for the travel support to T.P.T.N.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa

    Justin A. Lathlean, Christopher D. McQuaid & Gerardo I. Zardi

  2. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UMR 8187 LOG, 28 avenue Foch, BP 80, 62930, Wimereux, France

    Laurent Seuront

  3. The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Terence P. T. Ng

  4. CCMAR - Centro de Ciencias do Mar, CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal

    Katy R. Nicastro

Authors
  1. Justin A. Lathlean
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  2. Laurent Seuront
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  3. Christopher D. McQuaid
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  4. Terence P. T. Ng
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  5. Gerardo I. Zardi
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  6. Katy R. Nicastro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justin A. Lathlean.

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Responsible Editor: S. Connell.

Reviewed by A. Smith and an undisclosed expert.

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Lathlean, J.A., Seuront, L., McQuaid, C.D. et al. Size and position (sometimes) matter: small-scale patterns of heat stress associated with two co-occurring mussels with different thermoregulatory behaviour. Mar Biol 163, 189 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-2966-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-2966-z

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