Embracing interactions in ocean acidification research: confronting multiple stressor scenarios and context dependence
Author(s)
Kroeker, KJ
Kordas, RL
Harley, CDG
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Changes in the Earth's environment are now sufficiently complex that our ability to forecast the emergent ecological consequences of ocean acidification (OA) is limited. Such projections are challenging because the effects of OA may be enhanced, reduced or even reversed by other environmental stressors or interactions among species. Despite an increasing emphasis on multifactor and multispecies studies in global change biology, our ability to forecast outcomes at higher levels of organization remains low. Much of our failure lies in a poor mechanistic understanding of nonlinear responses, a lack of specificity regarding the levels of organization at which interactions can arise, and an incomplete appreciation for linkages across these levels. To move forward, we need to fully embrace interactions. Mechanistic studies on physiological processes and individual performance in response to OA must be complemented by work on population and community dynamics. We must also increase our understanding of how linkages and feedback among multiple environmental stressors and levels of organization can generate nonlinear responses to OA. This will not be a simple undertaking, but advances are of the utmost importance as we attempt to mitigate the effects of ongoing global change.
Date Issued
2017-03-29
Date Acceptance
2017-02-17
Citation
Biology Letters, 2017, 13 (3)
ISSN
1744-957X
Publisher
Royal Society, The
Journal / Book Title
Biology Letters
Volume
13
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2017 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original
author and source are credited.
License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original
author and source are credited.
License URL
Sponsor
National Science Foundation
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Biology
Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
cumulative impacts
climate change
ocean acidification
thresholds
THERMAL TOLERANCE
CROSS-TOLERANCE
MARINE SYSTEMS
CLIMATE-CHANGE
RESPONSES
BIODIVERSITY
TEMPERATURE
ECOSYSTEMS
PREDATION
IMPACTS
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
20160802