Ecological Consequences of Thermal Stress on Wave-Swept Shores

Discovery Lecture Series
presented by AltaSea and Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

Ecological Consequences of Thermal Stress on Wave-Swept Shores: Insights from a Model Ecosystem

By Bengt J. Allen, California State University, Long Beach

Increasing temperature variability associated with rapid climate change is likely to be an important driver of biological disturbance over the next few decades, as it increases the risk that species’ stress thresholds will be exceeded. In response to a thermal challenge, many organisms exhibit characteristic physiological changes resulting in greater tolerance to subsequent high temperatures.