TY - JOUR

T1 - Influence of environmental variables over multiple spatial scales on the population structure of a key marine invertebrate.

AU - Pardal-Souza, André

AU - Cordeiro, Cesar

AU - Ciotti, Aurea

AU - Jenkins, Stuart

AU - Gimenez Noya, Luis

AU - Burrows, Michael T.

AU - Christofoletti, Ronaldo

PY - 2021/8/1

Y1 - 2021/8/1

N2 - Quantifying scale-dependent patterns and linking ecological to environmental variation is required to understand mechanisms regulating biodiversity. We conducted a large-scale survey in rocky shores along the SE Brazilian coast to examine spatial variability in body size and density of an intertidal barnacle (Chthamalus bisinuatus) and its relationships with benthic and oceanographic predictors. Both the size and density of barnacles showed most variation at the smallest spatial scales. On average, barnacle body size was larger on shores located in areas characterised by higher chlorophyll levels, colder waters, low wave action and low influence of freshwater. Barnacles were more abundant at wave-exposed shores. We identified critical scales of spatial variation of an important species and linked population patterns to essential environmental predictors. Our results show that populations of this barnacle are coupled to scale-dependent oceanographic variation. This study offers insights into the mechanisms regulating coastal populations along a little studied coastline.

AB - Quantifying scale-dependent patterns and linking ecological to environmental variation is required to understand mechanisms regulating biodiversity. We conducted a large-scale survey in rocky shores along the SE Brazilian coast to examine spatial variability in body size and density of an intertidal barnacle (Chthamalus bisinuatus) and its relationships with benthic and oceanographic predictors. Both the size and density of barnacles showed most variation at the smallest spatial scales. On average, barnacle body size was larger on shores located in areas characterised by higher chlorophyll levels, colder waters, low wave action and low influence of freshwater. Barnacles were more abundant at wave-exposed shores. We identified critical scales of spatial variation of an important species and linked population patterns to essential environmental predictors. Our results show that populations of this barnacle are coupled to scale-dependent oceanographic variation. This study offers insights into the mechanisms regulating coastal populations along a little studied coastline.

KW - Benthic-pelagic coupling

KW - Chlorophyll-a

KW - Large-scale

KW - Rocky shore

KW - Sea temperature

KW - Wave exposure

U2 - 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105410

DO - 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105410

M3 - Article

VL - 170

JO - Marine Environmental Research

JF - Marine Environmental Research

SN - 0141-1136

M1 - 105410

ER -