Can acclimation of thermal tolerance, in adults and across generations, act as a buffer against climate change in tropical marine ectotherms?

Abstract

Thermal acclimation capacity was investigated in adults of three tropical marine invertebrates, the subtidal barnacle Striatobalanus amaryllis, the intertidal gastropod Volegalea cochlidium and the intertidal barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite. To test the relative importance of transgenerational acclimation, the developmental acclimation capacity of A. amphitrite was investigated in F₁ and F₂ generations reared at a subset of the same incubation temperatures. The increase in CT_max (measured through loss of key behavioural metrics) of F₀ adults across the incubation temperature range 25.4-33.4°C was low: 0.00°C (V. cochlidium), 0.05°C (S. amaryllis) and 0.06°C (A. amphitrite) per 1°C increase in incubation temperature (the acclimation response ratio; ARR). Although the effect of generation was not significant, across the incubation temperature range of 29.4-33.4°C, the increase in CT_max in the F₁ (0.30°C) and F₂ (0.15°C) generations of A. amphitrite was greater than in the F₀ (0.10°C). These correspond to ARR's of 0.03°C (F₀), 0.08°C (F₁) and 0.04°C (F₂), respectively. The variability in CT_max between individuals in each treatment was maintained across generations, despite the high mortality of progeny. Further research is required to investigate the potential for transgenerational acclimation to provide an extra buffer for tropical marine species facing climate warming.

Keywords: Acclimation; CT(max); Climate change; Transgenerational acclimation; Tropical marine invertebrate; Warming tolerance.