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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Vulnerable Species In A Changing Climate: The Genomic Response Of Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes To Predicted Oceanic Conditions As A Model Of Physiological Plasticity And Adaptive Capability, Troy James Huth
Theses and Dissertations
In its fifth report in 2014 the IPCC reinforced the contribution of anthropogenic CO2 to global climate change predicting widespread and significant changes to the global climate over a relatively short time scale. The polar regions, including the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica, were identified as ecosystems that may experience the most rapid and severe changes. As the Southern Ocean is one of the coldest and most oceanographically stable regions on earth, the endemic fauna likely have no alternative habitats available for migration. Further compounding the challenge these species will face is the substantial degree of adaptation to the extreme cold …
Marine Population Connectivity: Range Boundaries And Climate Change, Rhiannon Leigh Rognstad
Marine Population Connectivity: Range Boundaries And Climate Change, Rhiannon Leigh Rognstad
Theses and Dissertations
Population connectivity, particularly in open systems, is an important metric for understanding population-level processes on both ecological and evolutionary timescales. In coastal marine systems, adults are typically sedentary and dispersal occurs primarily during a larval stage when individuals are transported in ocean currents. Because coastal marine populations exist as networks of interconnected subpopulations, variation in the magnitude and extent of population connectivity can have profound effects on population dynamics and species distribution limits. Connectivity is a complex process, affected by a multitude of factors, including adult inputs and physical dispersal, which operate at multiple scales and may interact. This dissertation …
Thermal Ecology And Physiology Of An Intertidal Predator-Prey System: Pisaster Ochraceus And Mytilus Californianus, Cristian J. Monaco
Thermal Ecology And Physiology Of An Intertidal Predator-Prey System: Pisaster Ochraceus And Mytilus Californianus, Cristian J. Monaco
Theses and Dissertations
Untangling natural systems’ complexity requires understanding the mechanisms responsible for organisms’ responses to environmental change. Recently, significant advances have been made by recognizing the relevance of direct and indirect effects, which take place when multiple biotic and abiotic factors influence each other. I examined potential direct effects of environmental variables on a predator-prey interaction, as well as potential indirect effects of these variables on the interaction itself. I placed emphasis on behavioral and physiological adaptations, which would potentially contribute/modify these effects. My study system was comprised of a rocky intertidal keystone predator, the sea star Pisaster ochraceus, and its main …