Details:

Alternative Title:
Acute climate events like marine heatwaves have the potential to temporarily or permanently alter community structure with effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. We aimed to quantify the magnitude and consistency of climate driven community shifts inside and outside Marine Protected Areas before and after a marine heatwave using a kelp forest fish community dataset in southern California, USA. Abundance, biomass, diversity and recruitment of warm-water affinity species during the marine heatwave were significantly greater compared with prior years yet cool-water affinity species did not show commensurate declines. Fish communities inside MPAs were not buffered from these community shifts. This result is likely because the particular species most responsible for the community response to environmental drivers, were not fisheries targets. Resource managers working to preserve biodiversity in a changing climate will need to consider additional management tools and strategies in combination with protected areas to mitigate the effect of warming on marine communities.
Journal Title:
Scientific Reports
Personal Author:
Freedman, R. M. ; Brown, J. A. ; Caldow, C. ; Caselle, J. E.
Freedman, R. M. ; Brown, J. A. ; Caldow, C. ; Caselle, J. E. Less -
NOAA Program & Office:
ONMS (Office of National Marine Sanctuaries) ; NOS (National Ocean Service)
ONMS (Office of National Marine Sanctuaries) ; NOS (National Ocean Service) Less -
Description:
Acute climate events like marine heatwaves have the potential to temporarily or permanently alter community structure with effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. We aimed to quantify the magnitude and consistency of climate driven community shifts inside and outside Marine Protected Areas before and after a marine heatwave using a kelp forest fish community dataset in southern California, USA. Abundance, biomass, diversity and recruitment of warm-water affinity species during the marine heatwave were significantly greater compared with prior years yet cool-water affinity species did not show commensurate declines. Fish communities inside MPAs were not buffered from these community shifts. This result is likely because the particular species most responsible for the community response to environmental drivers, were not fisheries targets. Resource managers working to preserve biodiversity in a changing climate will need to consider additional management tools and strategies in combination with protected areas to mitigate the effect of warming on marine communities.
Keywords:
[+]
Climate-change Ecology Community Ecology Conservation Biology Ecology Marine Biology
Source:
Scientific Reports, 10(1)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-77885-3
Document Type:
Journal Article
Place as Subject:
California
Rights Information:
CC BY
Compliance:
Submitted
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:9b9879e7d220a787d322f1ccf6bdf08ee65d68a6f5efab2ad0f17daa445e40c6
Download URL:
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/30016/noaa_30016_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

• No Additional Files

More +