Does Microhabitat Elevation Play a Role in Thermal Stress Response in Porcelain Crab Embryos?
Author: Joe Holdreith
Faculty Supervisor: Jonathon Stillman
Department: Biology
Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are increasing the frequency and intensity of atmospheric and marine heat waves (AHWs and MHWs, respectively). Intertidal zones are the only ecosystems on earth that experience simultaneous AHWs and MHWs. The intertidal porcelain crab Petrolisthes cinctipes lives underneath rocks in the mid intertidal zone at variable elevations. AHWs and MHWs exert thermal stress on P. cinctipes across elevations. P. cinctipes display brood specific responses to thermal stress, the source of which remains unknown. We hypothesized that acclimatization to elevation-specific temperatures contributes to brood specific stress responses in P. cinctipes. We tested our hypothesis by sampling P. cinctipes embryos from higher and lower elevation microhabitats and subjecting them to a 30°C heat shock. Hatching success, respiration rates, yolk consumption rates, and growth rates were measured to assess stress response across elevations. Embryos were sampled in summer and winter. Broods did display variable stress responses across elevations, however, the influence of elevation was regulated by season. Understanding the source of brood specific stress response in P. cinctipes will enhance our knowledge of how organisms overcome thermal stress induced by climate change and heat waves.