Marine heatwave impacts on newly-hatched planktonic larvae of an estuarine crab

Climate change is imposing constant and more severe environmental challenges to coastal and marine species. Regional climate and species acclimation capacity determine the communities' ecological response to stressors. Marine heatwave events are of serious threat to species fitness and survivorship, even more to the sensitive early -history stages of ectotherms. By combining modeled regional historical data and climate change predictions with manipulative experiments, we evaluated the potential impact of marine heatwaves in a widespread and abundant planktonic larvae of the fiddler crab Leptuca thayeri. Larvae survival was affected by temperature increase with lowest survival probability under higher temperature treatments regardless of pH conditions. Larval physiology was affected by both temperature increase and pH conditions. With heatwaves becoming more frequent, hotter, and lasting longer in the region, we could expect potential reductions in the larval recruitment and stocks with cascade ecological negative effects on estuarine habitats.

Automated summary

Climate change poses constant and more severe environmental challenges to coastal and marine species. Marine heatwave events have serious impacts on the fitness and survival of species, especially during the sensitive early-life stages. A study on planktonic larvae of the fiddler crab Leptuca thayeri using historical data and climate change predictions found that higher temperatures and changing pH conditions affect larval survival and physiology, leading to potential reductions in larval recruitment and stocks with negative ecological effects on estuarine habitats.