Climate Concerns: How Increasing Temperatures Affect the Size and Behavior of the Aggregating Anemone, Anthopleura elegantissima
By: Holly Robilliard
Department: Marine Science
Faculty Advisor: Dr. C. Sarah Cohen
Increasing temperatures from climate change and global warming have caused mass Cnidarian bleaching events across the globe. Most of the research on these events has focused on coral reef degradation but recent evidence has shown these events also affect sea anemones. This project will examine the relationship between the aggregating anemone, Anthopleura elegantissima, and increasing temperatures due to climate change. Areas of study will be anemones in tide pools, and on substrates, at Rockaway Beach, CA. Methods include general habitat observations, in addition to physical measurements. These measurements include, but are not limited to body size, weight, and various temperature points. The results of this research allow us to establish physical characteristics that indicate stress of A. elegantissima, without requiring lab analysis. This would allow scientists and citizen scientists alike to monitor the health of this species under stressful conditions, to predict, and to prevent, the loss of A. elegantissima due to climate change.