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Marine species worldwide are responding to ocean warming by shifting their ranges to new latitudes and, for intertidal species, elevations. Demographic traits can vary across populations spanning latitudinal and elevational ranges, with impacts on population growth. Understanding how demography varies across gradients from range center to edge could help us predict future shifts, species assemblages, and extinction risks. We investigated demographic traits for 2 range-expanding whelk species:Acanthinucella spirataandMexacanthina lugubris.We measured reproductive output across environmental (latitudinal and shore elevation) gradients along the coast of California, USA. We also conducted intensive measurements of offspring condition (survival and thermal tolerance) across shore elevation forM. lugubrisat one site. We found no difference in reproductive output, body size, or larval survival across shore heights forM. lugubris,suggesting that egg-laying behavior buffers developing stages from the relatively high level of thermal variation experienced due to daily tidal emersion. However, across latitudes, reproductive output increased toward the leading range edge forA. spirata, and body size increased for both species. Increased vital rates at the leading range edge could increase whelk population growth and expansion, allowing species to persist under climate change even if contractions occur at trailing edges.
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This content will become publicly available on February 1, 2026
Biogeographic Patterns in Density, Recruitment, Body Size and Zonation of Rocky Intertidal Predators Suggest Increased Population Vulnerability Near Southern Range Limits
ABSTRACT AimSurveying the demography of populations near species range edges may indicate their vulnerability to range contractions or local extinction as the climate changes. In the rocky intertidal, not only are latitudinal ranges constricted by thermal stress, but tides also create zonation or a ‘vertical range’ driven by sharp environmental gradients. By investigating demographics along the latitudinal and vertical ranges simultaneously, we can investigate whether populations may be vulnerable to a changing climate. LocationRocky intertidal habitats along west coast of the United States. TaxaOchre sea starPisaster ochraceus, six‐armed sea starLeptasteriasspp., emarginate whelks(Nucella ostrina and N. emarginata) and channeled whelkN. canaliculata. MethodsIn 2018, we surveyed the demographics of the taxa above at 33 sites spanning > 11° latitude from central Oregon to southern California, near the southern range limits of each taxon. We counted and sized individuals from the high to low intertidal zone. To understand how environmental stress changed with latitude, we evaluated intertidal temperaturesin situ, as well as tidal extremes, tidal amplitude and wave exposure using offshore buoys. ResultsFor all taxa, population density, the relative proportion of smaller individuals (except for emarginate whelks) and the upper vertical limits on the shore declined from north to south as temperatures increased and high tide height, tidal amplitude and wave heights decreased. In addition, smaller individualLeptasteriasspp. generally inhabited lower shore levels while smaller individual emarginate whelks inhabited higher shore levels coastwide. ForN. canaliculata, smaller animals were higher on shore northward, but lower on shore southward. Main ConclusionsWhile this study is a snapshot in time and cannot assess impacts of climate change, our surveys suggest environmentally‐related demographic limitation toward southern range limits and demographically vulnerable southern populations. Therefore, a warming climate may cause local extinctions or range contractions near southern limits.
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- PAR ID:
- 10570925
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Biogeography
- Volume:
- 52
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0305-0270
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 257 to 273
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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