Evidence of climate change (intertidal indicators)

Abstract

Rocky shore species live in habitats that are exposed to both terrestrial and marine climates during the diurnal tidal cycle, and so provide a unique perspective on the genetic and physiological adaptations to survival in a constantly changing, environmentally challenging ecosystem. Most intertidal animals and seaweed are fixed to the rock or can only move small distances, which places them at the mercy of long-term climate change and extreme events such as heatwaves and storm events that are increasing in frequency and severity. As a result, they have shown some of the fastest responses to global warming in any system on the planet, shifting their geographic distributions to higher latitudes where sea and air temperatures are cooler. The rocky shore is an accessible habitat to study, and scientists have been able to look at the biological pathways by which different creatures respond to changes in climate by carrying out long-term surveys and experiments. The rapid responses to changes in temperature and the large amount of knowledge of their biological processes mean that intertidal species can be used as indicators of the biological effects that climate change is having within the marine real