Phenotypic plasticity and biogeographic variation in physiology of habitat-forming seaweed: response to temperature and nitrate.

Southeastern Australian waters are warming at nearly four times the global average rate (~0.7°C · century(-1) ) driven by strengthening incursions of the warm oligotrophic East Australian Current. The growth rate hypothesis (GRH) predicts that nutrient depletion will impact more severely on seaweeds at high latitudes with compressed growth seasons.