Turning on the heat: ecological response to simulated warming in the sea

Smale, Dan A.; Wernberg, Thomas; Peck, Lloyd S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3479-6791; Barnes, David K.A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9076-7867. 2011 Turning on the heat: ecological response to simulated warming in the sea. PlosOne, 6 (1), e16050. 4, pp. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016050

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Abstract/Summary

Significant warming has been observed in every ocean, yet our ability to predict the consequences of oceanic warming on marine biodiversity remains poor. Experiments have been severely limited because, until now, it has not been possible to manipulate seawater temperature in a consistent manner across a range of marine habitats. We constructed a "hot-plate'' system to directly examine ecological responses to elevated seawater temperature in a subtidal marine system. The substratum available for colonisation and overlying seawater boundary layer were warmed for 36 days, which resulted in greater biomass of marine organisms and a doubling of space coverage by a dominant colonial ascidian. The "hot-plate'' system will facilitate complex manipulations of temperature and multiple stressors in the field to provide valuable information on the response of individuals, populations and communities to environmental change in any aquatic habitat.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016050
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Polar Science for Planet Earth (2009 - ) > Ecosystems
ISSN:	1932-6203
NORA Subject Terms:	Marine Sciences Meteorology and Climatology Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	26 May 2011 12:23 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/14048

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