Ms Claire Butler1, Prof Adriana Verges2, Dr Scott Ling1, Prof Catriona Hurd1, Dr Scott Bennett1
1Institute of Marine And Antarctic Studies, Hobart, Australia, 2University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Understanding how species respond to temperature is necessary to predict the ecological consequences of ocean warming, particularly when those species have a disproportionate impact on ecosystem structure and function. In temperate reef ecosystems some sea urchin species have the capacity to overgraze productive kelp bed habitat and form urchin barrens, an alternate and stable reef state almost completely devoid of macroalgae. Despite the significant ecological and economic impacts of urchin barrens in regions across the globe, how ocean warming will impact barrens-forming urchin species and their capacity to form and maintain barrens is yet unclear. Using the Great Southern Reef in Australia as a case study, we conducted a review of the published literature pertaining to temperature effects on the performance of barrens-forming urchin species in this region. We sought to answer questions about what thermal limits exist for different species, if there were patterns in limits across seasons, life stage or latitude, and what key knowledge gaps exist in our understanding of thermal performance for these species. We also carried out a series of monthly in-situ grazing assays to assess how grazing rates change throughout seasonal and reproductive cycles. Our results provide new insight into how these species respond to warming and highlight key areas for future work that would facilitate a better understanding of how ocean warming will influence their impact on temperate reefs.
Biography:
My current research focuses on how the structure and function of marine ecosystems changes across environmental gradients and in response to climate change. With previous experience in spatial data analysis, I am now seeking to expand and combine this with a comparative approach to better understand the drivers of change in temperate reef ecosystems through space and time. I believe in conducting science that can contribute to practical discoveries, and which provides a base of knowledge necessary to support solutions to recognised problems in the management and conservation of our natural ecosystems.
