Evolving Ecosystems: Seaweeds in a Changing Climate

Abstract

When most people visit the seashore and decide to poke around to look at organisms, they are typically focused on the animals and especially the ones they see moving. While seaweeds might be overlooked by many, they form the base of most marine ecosystems. Habitat-forming seaweeds are those that form the three-dimensional structure of coastal habitats and include many species of rockweeds and kelps. Due to the combined effects of climate change, especially increased sea surface temperature, the abundance and distribution of habitat-forming seaweeds have been changing. These changes are likely to cause ripple effects through entire coastal marine ecosystems that may affect which species are present and in what quantities. In this talk, Dr. Green-Gavrielidis will share research on how habitat-forming seaweeds in the northwest Atlantic are changing, and offer a glimpse at what may be local adaptation in seaweed populations to changing conditions. Dr. Green-Gavrielidis will also highlight findings from other temperate regions and propose future research areas to better understand the complexity of the response of seaweeds to climate change stressors.