Climate change and historical biogeography of the barnacle Semibalanus balanoides

• Published in: Global ecology and biogeography Vol. 21; no. 7; pp. 716 - 724
• Main Authors: Jones, Sierra J., Southward, Alan J., Wethey, David S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2012; Blackwell Publishing; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Barnacles; Biogeography; Biological and medical sciences; Cape Cod; Chthamalus fragilis; Climate change; Climate models; Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change; Coasts; Earth, ocean, space; Ecological competition; Ecological zones; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Marine; Marine biology; Marine ecology; Megabalanus coccopoma; Meteorology; Mortality; Semibalanus balanoides; Synecology; western Atlantic; AW, Atlantic; USA; Cape Cod; Chthamalus fragilis; Biogeography; Semibalanus balanoides; western Atlantic; Ecology; Barnacles; Case history; Dynamical climatology; Crustacea; Climate change; Arthropoda; Cirripedia; Invertebrata; Megabalanus coccopoma
• ISSN: 1466-822X; 1466-8238
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2011.00721.x

Aim: Marine sessile inter-tidal invertebrates are expected to undergo shifts in distribution due to climate change. Using a combination of survey and transplant data with thermal modelling, we investigated the role of climate on the poleward contraction of the southern range edge of the north temperate barnacle Semibalanus balanoides. Location: Western Atlantic of the United States. Methods: Barnacle surveys were conducted along the east coast of the United States in 1963 and 2007. Presence, absence and abundance data were collected and the time periods were compared. Transplant experiments monitoring survival with relation to temperature were conducted upon S. balanoides along the more southerly portion of their range, and modelling predicting barnacle survival with relation to biogeography was completed. Results: The southern limit of S. balanoides has contracted approximately 350 km to the north. Main conclusions: The changes thus far observed in climate along the east coast of the United States have contributed to the southern limit range contraction of S. balanoides. Further changes in the biogeography of S. balanoides are expected with continued climate warming.