Ecophysiological responses to heat waves in the marine intertidal zone.

One notable consequence of climate change is an increase in the frequency, scale and severity of heat waves. Heat waves in terrestrial habitats (atmospheric heat waves, AHW) and marine habitats (marine heat waves, MHW) have received considerable attention as environmental forces that impact organisms, populations and whole ecosystems. Only one ecosystem, the intertidal zone, experiences both MHWs and AHWs.

Population-specific vulnerability to ocean change in a multistressor environment.

Variation in environmental conditions across a species' range can alter their responses to environmental change through local adaptation and acclimation. Evolutionary responses, however, may be challenged in ecosystems with tightly coupled environmental conditions, where changes in the covariance of environmental factors may make it more difficult for species to adapt to global change. Here, we conduct a 3-month-long mesocosm experiment and find evidence for local adaptation/acclimation in populations of red sea urchins, , to multiple environmental drivers.