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Thermally mediated body temperature, water content and aggregation behaviour in the intertidal gastropod Nerita atramentosa

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Ecological Research

Abstract

Intertidal organisms are vulnerable to global warming as they already live at, or near to, the upper limit of their thermal tolerance window. The behaviour of ectotherms could, however, dampen their limited physiological abilities to respond to climate change (e.g. drier and warmer environmental conditions) which could substantially increase their survival rates. The behaviour of ectotherms is still mostly overlooked in climate change studies. Here, we investigate the potential of aggregation behaviour to compensate for climate change in an intertidal gastropod species (Nerita atramentosa) in South Australia. We used thermal imaging to investigate (1) the heterogeneity in individual snail water content and body temperature and surrounding substratum temperature on two topographically different habitats (i.e. rock platform and boulders) separated by 250 m at both day- and night-times, (2) the potential relationship between environment temperature (air and substratum) and snail water content and body temperature, and (3) the potential buffering effect of aggregation behaviour on snail water content and body temperature. Both substratum and snail temperature were more heterogeneous at small spatial scales (a few centimetres to a few metres) than between habitats. This reinforces the evidence that mobile intertidal ectotherms could survive locally under warmer conditions if they can locate and move behaviourally in local thermal refuges. N. atramentosa behaviour, water content and body temperature during emersion seem to be related to the thermal stability and local conditions of the habitat occupied. Aggregation behaviour reduces both desiccation and heat stresses but only on the boulder field. Further investigations are required to identify the different behavioural strategies used by ectothermic species to adapt to heat and dehydrating conditions at the habitat level. Ultimately, this information constitutes a fundamental prerequisite to implement conservation management plans for ectothermic species identified as vulnerable in the warming climate.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge V. Van-Dongen-Vogels for field work assistance, and K. Newton, T. Jeffries, B. Roudnew for laboratory assistance. We thank Mike Davis from the Bureau of Meteorology of Australia for his help and assistance with meteorological data. This research was supported under Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects funding scheme (Project Number DP0988554). Professor Seuront is the recipient of an Australian Professorial Fellowship (Project Number DP0988554). C. Chapperon was supported by an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship.

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  1. Cédric Le Bris

    Present address: Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement Marin, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, UMR 6539, Brest, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia

    Coraline Chapperon, Cédric Le Bris & Laurent Seuront

  2. Aquatic Sciences, South Australian Research and Development Institute, West Beach, SA, 5022, Australia

    Laurent Seuront

  3. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, UMR LOG 8187 Station Marine, 62930, Wimereux, France

    Laurent Seuront

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  1. Coraline Chapperon
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Correspondence to Coraline Chapperon.

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Chapperon, C., Le Bris, C. & Seuront, L. Thermally mediated body temperature, water content and aggregation behaviour in the intertidal gastropod Nerita atramentosa . Ecol Res 28, 407–416 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-013-1030-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-013-1030-4

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