Meeting Abstract

P2-132   -   How seasonal thermal variation within the intertidal zone affects the thermal escape behavior and body condition of Petrolisthes cinctipes Estrada Aguila, C/O; San Francisco State University cestrada1237@gmail.com

Temperature influences population distribution, body size, and metabolism, making it a driving ecological and evolutionary factor. Due to climate change, global temperatures are rising. For example, sea surface temperatures are expected to increase by 1.8-3.5 °C by the end of the century and extreme climate events are predicted to become more intense and frequent in the future. My research seeks to understand how thermal seasonal changes influence the behavior and physiology of the intertidal zone porcelain crab, P. cinctipes, and to investigate the relationship between seasonal thermal variation, microclimate variation, thermal behavior, and body condition. Temperature data loggers were deployed under rocks to characterize intertidal zone thermal microhabitats. I assessed how temperature avoidance behaviors vary across fine-scale seasonal thermal variation and body condition using a behavioral assay, video analysis, and motion tracking software. I hypothesized that thermal avoidance varies across long-term seasonal thermal variation and during periods of extreme heat events and that thermal avoidance is related to body condition. When using Quételet’s condition index to calculate body condition, preliminary results show a small but insignificant positive relationship between body condition and escape temperature. When observing wet weight data, a small but insignificant positive correlation relationship is seen with escape temperature. Preliminary results also show that there is no significant difference in escape temperature between injured crabs (missing limbs) and uninjured crabs. Overall, my research will contribute to the knowledge and understanding of how marine invertebrates are affected by climate change, and the physiological and behavioral limits constraining their ability to adapt to changing ocean temperatures.