Global patterns in copepod thermal tolerance

Copepods are key components of aquatic habitats across the globe. Understanding how they respond to warming is important for predicting the effects of climate change on aquatic communities. Lethal thermal limits may play an important role in determining responses to warming. Thermal tolerance can vary over several different spatial and temporal scales, but we still lack a fundamental understanding of what drives the evolution of these patterns in copepods. In this Horizons piece, we provide a synthesis of global patterns in copepod thermal tolerance and potential acclimatory capacities. Copepod thermal tolerance increases with maximum annual temperature. We also find that the effects of phenotypic plasticity on thermal tolerance are negatively related to the magnitude of thermal tolerance, suggesting a potential trade-off between these traits. Our ability to fully describe these patterns is limited, however, by a lack of spatial, temporal and phylogenetic coverage in copepod thermal tolerance data. We indicate several priority areas for future work on copepod thermal tolerance, and accompanying suggestions regarding experimental design and methodology.

Automated summary

Research shows that copepod thermal tolerance increases with maximum annual temperature, while the effects of phenotypic plasticity on thermal tolerance are negatively related to the magnitude of thermal tolerance. However, our ability to fully describe these patterns is limited by a lack of spatial, temporal and phylogenetic coverage in copepod thermal tolerance data.