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Global warming-induced temperature effects to intertidal tropical and temperate meiobenthic communities
Vafeiadou, A.-M.; Bretaña, B.L.P.; Van Colen, C.; dos Santos, G.A.P.; Moens, T. (2018). Global warming-induced temperature effects to intertidal tropical and temperate meiobenthic communities. Mar. Environ. Res. 142: 163-177. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.10.005
In: Marine Environmental Research. Applied Science Publishers: Barking. ISSN 0141-1136; e-ISSN 1879-0291
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Non-open access 333198 [ request ]
Keywords
    Aquatic communities > Benthos > Meiobenthos
    Aquatic sciences > Marine sciences > Ecology > Marine ecology
    Biodiversity
    Climate change
    Composition > Community composition
    Properties > Physical properties > Thermodynamic properties > Temperature
    Water bodies > Coastal waters
    Nematoda [WoRMS]
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    Nematodes
Authors  Top 
  • Vafeiadou, A.-M.
  • Bretaña, B.L.P.
  • Van Colen, C.
  • dos Santos, G.A.P.
  • Moens, T.
Abstract
    Global climate change and the related temperature rise strongly impact marine life and have long been in the center of scientific attention. This experimental work investigates thermal-stress effects on intertidal meiofauna from tropical and temperate coasts, focusing on community responses. Natural communities were exposed for a month to ambient, elevated constant temperatures and diurnal fluctuating temperature regimes with elevated peak maxima, to mimic realistic future climate conditions. Abundance, biodiversity, community composition and functional diversity were assessed. Differential responses between a tropical and a temperate community were revealed. The tropical nematode assemblage was more tolerant to the elevated constant than to the fluctuating temperature regime, whereas the temperate assemblage was equally affected by both. Shifts in dominance of temperature-tolerant species in elevated constant and fluctuating temperature treatments (due to temperature variations) were observed and explained by a combination of differential tolerances and shifts in species interactions. Overall, global warming-induced temperature was found to alter species dynamics within meiobenthic communities, which may have further implications for the ecosystem.
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