Heatwave duration, intensity and timing as drivers of performance in larvae of a marine invertebrate

In marine ecosystems, crustaceans face an alarming threat from the increasing frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves as their early planktonic stages are particularly temperature sensitive. While the impact of heatwaves on adult crustaceans is well-studied, their effects on larvae remain underexplored. This study focuses on heatwave effects on larvae of the European shore crab, Carcinus maenas. Through a factorial experiment, larvae were exposed to different heatwaves of varying onset timings, durations, and intensities. Survival, development duration, and dry mass decreased under intense heatwaves, with more severe effects observed when heatwaves occurred later in development, highlighting a stage-specific sensitivity to heatwave. We also identified a “region of existence” beyond which larval performance was compromised compared to baseline temperatures. This region defines the heatwave components considered “extreme” for the organism, as well as those inducing neutral or positive effects on performance. Additionally, we distinguished heatwave effects (characterised by their components) from those attributed to the average temperature experienced during the experiments. Our findings demonstrated that larval performance was lower during intense heatwaves compared to the performance expected under a constant average temperature. These findings emphasize the importance of considering heatwave timing relative to the life cycle for predicting marine population responses to climate change.