Meeting Abstract

P3-3   -   Stress eating in kelp crabs: Do elevated temperatures change the feeding habits of a macroalgal grazer? Womacks, CH*; Dobkowski, KA; University of West Florida, Pensacola and Friday Harbor Laboratories, San Juan Island; Bates College, Lewiston and Friday Harbor Laboratories, San Juan Island carawomacks@gmail.com

The northern kelp crab Pugettia producta is a prominent grazer of Nereocystis luetkeana in the Salish Sea of Washington State, USA, but it is also known to consume invertebrates such as snails and small crabs. In this study, choice and no-choice feeding trials were performed in which kelp crabs were offered Nereocystis blades or Lacuna snails. Trials were performed at ambient and elevated temperatures to determine if rising temperatures due to climate change have potential to change these crabs’ feeding rate or preferred food source. Crabs exhibited no significant difference in the amount or type of food that they consumed at ambient or elevated temperatures. While these data seem to imply that warming waters will not affect the trophic interactions of these crabs within their Washington range, there is still uncertainty regarding how Nereocystis beds themselves will respond to the future effects of climate change. More work to investigate the effects of elevated temperatures on kelp forest habitats is needed to accurately understand and predict how warming due to climate change will affect both kelp crab and Nereocystis distribution and abundance.