Abstract
Body size reduction is predicted to be one of the most common ecological responses to climate change, yet examples within some taxonomic groups, such as marine molluscs, are rare. Here, we document a significant reduction in shell size of the rocky shore gastropod Nucella lapillus across the southern UK using natural history collections and modern field data. These results are correlated with temporal changes in sea-surface temperature from a long-term monitoring station. The maximum height of N. lapillus shells has declined by approximately 18 mm over the past 100 years, and the median size of shells in large size classes declined by 6 mm during this time. Individuals are, on average, larger in the west than in the east, which is noted using both modern and historical samples. In some locations, there has been a local extinction of N. lapillus, potentially due to combined negative impacts of climate warming and TBT pollution. Our results further demonstrate the utility of natural history collections, paired with modern field sampling, to document biological response to climate change and other human impacts.
Highlights
Body size underlies many ecological and evolutionary patterns (Peters 1983; Calder 1984; Fenberg and Roy 2008)
Because body size correlates with many different aspects of their biology, these anthropogenic impacts can result in changes to species’ life history, ecology, and even microevolution
The median size of Nucella lapillus over 30 mm has decreased over time (Kruskal–Wallis test, H3 = 293.53, P < 0.001), with a difference in size observed between current samples and all past groups (P < 0.05) (Fig. 2a)
Summary
Body size underlies many ecological and evolutionary patterns (Peters 1983; Calder 1984; Fenberg and Roy 2008). Anthropogenic impacts are thought to be causing widespread body size declines of natural populations, among aquatic taxa (Branch 1975; Branch and Odendaal 2003; Kido and Murray 2003; Roy et al 2003; Fenberg and Roy 2008; Daufresne et al 2009; Sheridan and Bickford 2011; Baudron et al 2014). Body size reduction as a result of size-selective or overharvesting and its consequences have been well researched (Branch 1975; Moreno 2001; Branch and Odendaal 2003; Roy et al 2003; Fenberg and Roy 2008), there are few examples of non-harvested marine species (especially invertebrates) exhibiting a reduction in body size over recent decades (potentially as a result of climate warming), despite well-established predictions
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