Marine species respond to multiple oceanographic stressors spatially and temporally, such as temperature, salinity, oxygen, and CO2.
Some species have remarkably wide distributions across environmental gradients. This may be due to physiological tolerance or ecological adaptation, the latter of which results in intraspecific population structure.
Examples of this are prevalent among living marine resources - particularly fished stocks - because of the extensive monitoring of these populations with increasing capabilities of genetic sampling. A change in vital rates is an alternative explanation for how fish stocks 'move' in response to changing environments. Identifying the correct mechanism responsible for these shifts (e.g., selection vs. movement) is key for providing appropriate advice to resource managers when predicting the effects of a changing environment.
This theme session will include observational, experimental, theoretical, and modeling examples of such change agents from data-rich species and from emerging examples of species exhibiting this phenomenon. We are also interested in understanding the complexity and solutions needed to address the socio-economic implications of these intraspecific dynamics and their role in ecosystem-wide and transboundary consequences.
We welcome oral presentations on the following topics:
- Established or emerging case studies of intraspecific variation in relation to environmental stressors relevant to predicting population responses to climate change.
- Experimental or modeling evidence that discerns between competing hypotheses about the processes affecting changes in species abundance, distributions, or life-history traits.
- Synthetic evaluations (e.g., management strategy evaluation) of the socio-economic outcomes of intraspecific variation or how to account for such variation in ecosystem-based management.
- New technologies or advancements in methods for future research, operations, or advisory structures.
