Ecophysiological strategies of Antarctic intertidal invertebrates faced with freezing stress

Waller, C.L.; Worland, M.R.; Convey, P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8497-9903; Barnes, D.K.A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9076-7867. 2006 Ecophysiological strategies of Antarctic intertidal invertebrates faced with freezing stress. Polar Biology, 29 (12). 1077-1083. 10.1007/s00300-006-0152-3

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1007/s00300-006-0152-3

Abstract/Summary

Recent studies have revealed a previously unanticipated level of biodiversity present in the Antarctic littoral. Here, we report research on the ecophysiological strategies adopted by intertidal species that permit them to survive in this environment, presenting cold-tolerance data for the widest range of invertebrates published to date from the Antarctic intertidal zone. We found significant differences in levels of cold tolerance between species within this zone. However, and contrary to expectations, intraspecific comparisons of subtidal and intertidal groups of eight species found significant differences between groups in only three species. One species, the nemertean Antarctonemertes validum, showed evidence of the presence of antifreeze proteins (thermal hysteresis proteins), with 1.4°C of thermal hysteresis measured in its haemolymph. We found a strong inverse relationship across species between mass and supercooling point, and fitted a power law model to describe the data. The scaling exponent (0.3) in this model suggests a relationship between an animal’s supercooling point and its linear dimensions.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1007/s00300-006-0152-3
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Global Science in the Antarctic Context (2005-2009) > Biodiversity, Functions, Limits and Adaptation from Molecules to Ecosystems
ISSN:	0722-4060
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Full text not available from this repository
Additional Keywords:	Cold tolerance
NORA Subject Terms:	Zoology
Date made live:	05 Oct 2007 12:33 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/1043

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1007/s00300-006-0152-3

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Global Science in the Antarctic Context (2005-2009) > Biodiversity, Functions, Limits and Adaptation from Molecules to Ecosystems

ISSN:

0722-4060

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Full text not available from this repository

Additional Keywords:

Cold tolerance