Acronym OCEANKELP
Category
Fisheries
Title Effects of ocean climate on the macroecology and resilience to disturbances of kelp beds Programme Nat. Programme (supported by ESIF)
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National-European Coordinator Iacopo Bertocci Coordinator email ibertocci@ciimar.up.pt
Coordinator institution
CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (Portugal)
Institutions involved
FFP - Fundação Ensino e Cultura 'Fernando Pessoa' (Portugal) ,
NA - Not available (Australia) ,
CO-FCUL - University of Lisbon; Institute of Oceanography (Portugal) ,
UÉ - Évora University (Portugal) ,
Start year 2011 End year 2014 Funding (€) € 137,341 Website NA Summary Kelp beds are common elements of temperate reefs, where they provide food and shelter for numerous organisms, including economically-valuable species (e.g. reef fishes). Increased ocean temperatures and storm severity are predicted as a consequence of the changing global climate. Future ecological function of temperate reefs will depend on how increased temperatures and disturbance regimes (including both natural and human-induced perturbations) interact to affect the performance of dominant habitat formers, such as kelps. Conservation and management efforts depend critically on developing predictive frameworks in the way patterns of abundance of fauna are linked with foundation species, and understanding how foundation species (e.g. kelps) respond to elevated temperatures in combination with other concurrent stressors (e.g. eutrophication). It is, however, difficult to study these effects directly. The comparative experimental approach, where identical experiments are conducted simultaneously in regions with different ocean climate regimes, but lacking major confounding factors, have been advocated as an alternative. The aim of this proposal is, firstly, to observationally determine how ocean climate is related to the macroecology (abundance and distribution patterns) of canopy-forming kelps, and a model group of associated fauna (reef fishes) across Portugal, affluences the resilience of kelp beds to a human induced disturbance (eutrophication). As global change will combine with local stressors (e.g. nutrient enrichment) to likely accelerate changes in community structure across vast areas of coast, experiments are necessary to assess their potential interactive effects, e.g. whether interactions will be synergistic, antagonistic or additive. Expected results from this project would help out to elucidate whether global and local stressors need to be assessed in meaningful combinations. The expected outcomes will provide tools to coastal managers for assessing how local stressors (increase in nutrient levels and degree of storminess) can interact with a global operating factor (global warming) in the way they manage, and propose ways to mitigate, these impacts. In addition, fisheries managers will gain a predictive framework in the way patterns of abundance of coastal reef fishes are related to habitat structure.
(1) To describe the abundance and distribution patterns of kelps across a latitudinal gradient in the shallow subtidal of northern and central Portugal. We hypothesize (a) that the abundance of kelps decrease towards their southern (warm) distribution limit, and so that (b) the habitat provided by kelps is progressively replaced by foliose and turf algae, and (c) that these patterns are consistent through seasons (summer vs. winter). We additionally expect (d) that individuals growing in environments closer to their lethal environmental thresholds, i.e. those from the southernmost populations, present higher levels of stress, which will likely reduce their productivity performance; (2) To establish a predictive relationship between macroalgal assemblage structure and the patterns of distribution and abundance of reef fishes. We hypothesize (a) that patterns in the composition and abundance of reef fishes follow patterns of variation in kelp abundance across coastal northern and central Portugal, and (b) that these patterns are consistent through seasons (summer vs. winter); (3) To assess how ocean climate influences the resilience of kelp beds to natural, physical (wave-induced), disturbances of different severity (i.e. size and intensity). We hypothesize (a) that temperature regime and severity of disturbance interacts to negatively affect the ecological performance of kelp recruits (photosynthetic efficiency, growth and recruitment) and so (b) the subsequent post-disturbance recovery of the kelp bed; (4)To determine how ocean climate influences the resilience of kelp beds to human-induced disturbances (nutrient enrichment). We hypothesize (a) that temperature regime and nutrient additions interact to negatively affect the ecological performance of kelp recruits (photosynthetic efficiency, growth and recruitment) and so (b) the subsequent post-disturbance recovery of the kelp bed.
Keywords
Algae;
Fish;
Climate change;
Impacts;
Mapping;
Fish habitat;
Marine Region
38
Portuguese Waters (27.IXa,27.IXb)
1
Marine Region Map
