Climate Change and the Ecology of Rocky Shores
Chris Harley, assistant UBC Zoology professor, will be presenting his work on:
Climate Change and the Ecology of Rocky Shores
Tuesday Nov 13, 2007 12:00p.m.– 1:00P.M.
Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory
2202 Main Mall, Room 120
Climate change is having dramatic effects on marine species and ecosystems. Recent work in my lab has shown that temperature and ocean acidification have important implications for growth and survival of marine species. However, the socio- economically important consequences of climate change emerge only after direct impacts have been filtered through interactions among species (including humans). My research on rocky shores focuses on the role of interspecific interactions in dictating the ultimate impacts of global warming. For example, the combination of abiotic stress and strong interspecific interactions creates distribution and abundance patterns at a variety of spatial scales, and may lead to biodiversity loss in the future. Because the importance of species interactions is changing, species that might be overlooked at present could be key players in the future. Understanding these patterns will be key to managing and conserving species and ecosystems.
