Responses of intertidal invertebrates to rising sea surface temperatures in the southeastern Indian Ocean
IntroductionThe west coast of Western Australia (WA) is a global hotspot for increasing sea surface temperatures and marine heatwaves.MethodsWe used visual survey transects to compare mollusc and echinoderm populations on three coastal intertidal platform reefs on the Perth shoreline with two intert...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1075228/full |
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| author | Fred E. Wells Fred E. Wells John K. Keesing John K. Keesing Marthe Monique Gagnon Cindy Bessey Francis Spilsbury Francis Spilsbury Tennille R. Irvine |
| author_facet | Fred E. Wells Fred E. Wells John K. Keesing John K. Keesing Marthe Monique Gagnon Cindy Bessey Francis Spilsbury Francis Spilsbury Tennille R. Irvine |
| author_sort | Fred E. Wells |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe west coast of Western Australia (WA) is a global hotspot for increasing sea surface temperatures and marine heatwaves.MethodsWe used visual survey transects to compare mollusc and echinoderm populations on three coastal intertidal platform reefs on the Perth shoreline with two intertidal platforms at the west end of Rottnest Island (32°S) which are under the influence of the southward flowing Leeuwin Current.ResultsIn 1983, temperate species dominated Perth coastal molluscan diversity, but the tropical mussel Brachidontes sculptus dominated density. Species richness on coastal platforms remained constant in 2007 and 2021, but total densities were lower in 2007 as B. sculptus declined; partial recovery occurred on coastal platforms in 2021. Tropical species were a significant component of mollusc diversity and density at Rottnest Island in 1982 and 2007. Total mollusc density declined by 98% at the island sites of Radar Reef and 86% at Cape Vlamingh and total echinoderm density by 52% and 88% respectively from 2007 to 2021; species diversity also declined sharply.DiscussionTropical species have moved southward in WA subtidal environments, but tropical, temperate and WA endemic species all suffered losses of biodiversity and catastrophic declines in density of 90% or more on the two Rottnest Island intertidal platforms. Data presented here provide a sound basis for exploring the possible causes of the catastrophic mortality at the west end of Rottnest Island and monitoring for recovery. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:45:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8ac658a491174d3a941c6c8fc99753f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:45:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-8ac658a491174d3a941c6c8fc99753f72023-02-23T10:35:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452023-02-011010.3389/fmars.2023.10752281075228Responses of intertidal invertebrates to rising sea surface temperatures in the southeastern Indian OceanFred E. Wells0Fred E. Wells1John K. Keesing2John K. Keesing3Marthe Monique Gagnon4Cindy Bessey5Francis Spilsbury6Francis Spilsbury7Tennille R. Irvine8School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, WA, Bentley, AustraliaNegaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Crawley, Chicago, IL, United StatesSchool of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, WA, Bentley, AustraliaCSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, WA, AustraliaSchool of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, WA, Bentley, AustraliaCSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, WA, AustraliaSchool of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, WA, Bentley, AustraliaDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenCSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, WA, AustraliaIntroductionThe west coast of Western Australia (WA) is a global hotspot for increasing sea surface temperatures and marine heatwaves.MethodsWe used visual survey transects to compare mollusc and echinoderm populations on three coastal intertidal platform reefs on the Perth shoreline with two intertidal platforms at the west end of Rottnest Island (32°S) which are under the influence of the southward flowing Leeuwin Current.ResultsIn 1983, temperate species dominated Perth coastal molluscan diversity, but the tropical mussel Brachidontes sculptus dominated density. Species richness on coastal platforms remained constant in 2007 and 2021, but total densities were lower in 2007 as B. sculptus declined; partial recovery occurred on coastal platforms in 2021. Tropical species were a significant component of mollusc diversity and density at Rottnest Island in 1982 and 2007. Total mollusc density declined by 98% at the island sites of Radar Reef and 86% at Cape Vlamingh and total echinoderm density by 52% and 88% respectively from 2007 to 2021; species diversity also declined sharply.DiscussionTropical species have moved southward in WA subtidal environments, but tropical, temperate and WA endemic species all suffered losses of biodiversity and catastrophic declines in density of 90% or more on the two Rottnest Island intertidal platforms. Data presented here provide a sound basis for exploring the possible causes of the catastrophic mortality at the west end of Rottnest Island and monitoring for recovery.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1075228/fullIndian Oceanclimate changemarine heatwaveLeeuwin Currentsea surface temperaturesbiogeography |
| spellingShingle | Fred E. Wells Fred E. Wells John K. Keesing John K. Keesing Marthe Monique Gagnon Cindy Bessey Francis Spilsbury Francis Spilsbury Tennille R. Irvine Responses of intertidal invertebrates to rising sea surface temperatures in the southeastern Indian Ocean Frontiers in Marine Science Indian Ocean climate change marine heatwave Leeuwin Current sea surface temperatures biogeography |
| title | Responses of intertidal invertebrates to rising sea surface temperatures in the southeastern Indian Ocean |
| title_full | Responses of intertidal invertebrates to rising sea surface temperatures in the southeastern Indian Ocean |
| title_fullStr | Responses of intertidal invertebrates to rising sea surface temperatures in the southeastern Indian Ocean |
| title_full_unstemmed | Responses of intertidal invertebrates to rising sea surface temperatures in the southeastern Indian Ocean |
| title_short | Responses of intertidal invertebrates to rising sea surface temperatures in the southeastern Indian Ocean |
| title_sort | responses of intertidal invertebrates to rising sea surface temperatures in the southeastern indian ocean |
| topic | Indian Ocean climate change marine heatwave Leeuwin Current sea surface temperatures biogeography |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1075228/full |
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