Department Seminar: Cascade Sorte

Title: Reponses of coastal marine communities to in situ temperature and CO2 manipulations

Abstract: Ecosystems are simultaneously experiencing changes in multiple environmental factors, including increased CO2 levels, decreased pH, and warming. These changes can could influence species both directly and indirectly, through alterations in species interactions. I will share results of an unprecedented factorial manipulation of CO2 (reducing pH) and temperature in coastal tide pools. Responses were monitored at the individual (metabolism), population (abundance), community (diversity), and ecosystem (calcification) level. Our findings highlighted the importance of studies experiments conducted in natural, dynamic ecosystems to account for environmental variation, community interactions, and behavioral responses of mobile species.