Abstract
Physiological responses to temperature are known to be a major determinant of species distributions and can dictate the sensitivity of populations to global warming. In contrast, little is known about how other major global change drivers, such as ocean acidification (OA), will shape species distributions in the future. Here, by integrating population genetics with experimental data for growth and mineralization, physiology and metabolomics, we demonstrate that the sensitivity of populations of the gastropod Littorina littorea to future OA is shaped by regional adaptation. Individuals from populations towards the edges of the natural latitudinal range in the Northeast Atlantic exhibit greater shell dissolution and the inability to upregulate their metabolism when exposed to low pH, thus appearing most sensitive to low seawater pH. Our results suggest that future levels of OA could mediate temperature-driven shifts in species distributions, thereby influencing future biogeography and the functioning of marine ecosystems.
Highlights
Physiological responses to temperature are known to be a major determinant of species distributions and can dictate the sensitivity of populations to global warming
The findings of this study suggest that the relative sensitivity of different populations of L. littorea to future ocean acidification (OA) are likely to vary considerably across its geographical range of extension in the Northeast Atlantic through local and regional adaptation, with populations closer to the range edges being most sensitive
If OA selects against these sensitive, range-edge genotypes, it could cause a reduction of genetic diversity levels that could have farreaching consequences for the ability of these populations to respond and further adapt to other local and global stressors
Summary
Physiological responses to temperature are known to be a major determinant of species distributions and can dictate the sensitivity of populations to global warming. In several marine invertebrate species, this combination of chemical changes, collectively known as ocean acidification (OA), has been shown to exert significant effects on organismal life history, ecology and behaviour[9,10], and on fundamental physiological processes, resulting in imbalances in acid–base status, a reduction in aerobic scope and a shift in energy budget allocation[11]. These effects can reduce physiological performance, growth and reproductive output[12] and can increase the risk of local extinction, as has been shown to occur in natural high Pco[2] habitats[13]. We may be currently over- or underestimating the impact of different environmental changes in different climatic regions, with this having important implications for the development of directives and policies to promote the preservation of marine biodiversity under the ongoing global change
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