Heating it up in the intertidal: using remote sensing data in biophysical models to investigate climate-influenced species interactions
Lauren
Szathmary, University of South Carolina, szathmary@biol.sc.edu
(Presenting)
Allison
Smith, University of South Carolina, kasmith@biol.sc.edu
(Presenting)
Brian
Helmuth, University of South Carolina, helmuth@biol.sc.edu
David
S.
Wethey, University of South Carolina, wethey@biol.sc.edu
Climate change has both direct effects on organism survival and physiological performance, and indirect ecological influences via impacts on rates of predation and competition. In this study we examine broad-scale geographic patterns of both indirect and direct effects of climate change using remote sensing data combined with computer simulations and physiological and ecological data. The upper zonation limits of many rocky intertidal species are set by physical stresses related to body temperature and desiccation. Lower limits are set by rates of predation, which in turn may be affected by the temperature of the predator’s body. To investigate differential patterns in body temperature, and thus differential effects of climate on intertidal zonation heights of predator/prey species, we developed climate-based biophysical models for predatory seastars (Pisaster ochraceus) and prey (mussels Mytilus californianus and barnacles Chthamalus stellatus). Geostationary satellite data and surface observations in 32-km squares from the National Climatic Data Center North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) dataset were used to generate predictions of body temperature along the west coast of North America from British Columbia to southern California. Preliminary results show greater body temperature variability during summer months than during winter months, and suggest that mussels are generally a few degrees warmer than their predators.