Extreme Climatic Events in Marine Ecosystems

海洋生态系统中的极端气候事件

基本信息

批准号：
NE/K008439/1
负责人：
Daniel Smale
金额：
$ 63.96万
依托单位：
Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Fellowship
财政年份：
2014
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2014 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FK008439%2F1
关键词：
Extreme Climatic Events Marine Ecosystems

项目摘要

This project will determine the impacts of extreme climatic events on complex marine communities and ecosystems using a combination of observational, experimental and modeling approaches and, in doing so, will represent the first multi-faceted body of work on the influence of short-term climate fluctuations on the health and distribution of living marine resources and biodiversity. The world has warmed significantly over recent decades with major implications for ecosystems and the ecological goods and services they provide. Superimposed onto this gradual warming trend are short-term extreme climatic events, such as floods and heat waves, which have increased in frequency and magnitude as a direct consequence of anthropogenic climate change. Extreme events can cause catastrophic damage to ecosystems and invoke phase-shifts in ecological structure. However, knowledge of extreme climatic events in marine ecosystems is scant, having been opportunistically gained following a few disparate climatic episodes, and from simple laboratory experiments conducted on few species in isolation. There is a critical need for field-based studies conducted at the community or ecosystem level to elucidate response patterns to climatic events and, ultimately, to improve our ability to manage and conserve marine biodiversity.This project will conduct novel field experiments that simulate short-term warming events to examine the effects of 'marine heat waves' on ecological structure and function in a range of marine habitats, including seagrass meadows, kelp beds and rocky shores. The project will develop two innovative approaches for conducting in situ warming experiments, which will yield novel information on pattern-related responses (e.g. community structure) and process-related responses (e.g. species interactions, primary productivity) to extreme climatic events. Moreover, the project will examine ecological response and recovery to actual extreme warming events - the 2003 European heat wave and the 2011 ENSO event off southwest Australia -to determine the resilience of marine ecosystems to climatic fluctuations. Field-based research will also be complimented with a suite of mesocosm experiments that assess the influence of marine heat waves on ecological processes and species interactions. Finally, the project will analyse long-term temperature data to decipher temporal trends in anomalous events and develop predictive models of ecological responses to these discrete episodes. This research programme will generate vital information on how extreme climatic events impact the ecology of valuable coastal ecosystems, which is urgently needed for prediction and adaptation to climate change in our seas.

该项目将通过观察，实验和建模方法的结合来确定极端气候事件对复杂海洋社区和生态系统的影响，并在此过程中代表了第一个多方面的工作对短期气候波动对生存海洋资源健康和生物多样性的影响的影响。在最近几十年中，全世界都对生态系统及其提供的生态商品和服务产生了重大影响。短期的极端气候事件（例如洪水和热浪）叠加在这种逐渐变暖的趋势上，由于人为气候变化的直接结果，洪水和热浪的频率和幅度增加。极端事件会对生态系统造成灾难性损害，并在生态结构中调用相移。然而，对海洋生态系统中极端气候事件的知识很少，在几个不同的气候发作之后，有机会性地获得了机会。 There is a critical need for field-based studies conducted at the community or ecosystem level to elucidate response patterns to climatic events and, ultimately, to improve our ability to manage and conserve marine biodiversity.This project will conduct novel field experiments that simulate short-term warming events to examine the effects of 'marine heat waves' on ecological structure and function in a range of marine habitats, including seagrass meadows, kelp beds and rocky shores.该项目将开发两种用于进行原位变暖实验的创新方法，这些方法将产生有关模式相关响应（例如社区结构）和与过程相关的反应（例如物种相互作用，主要生产力）的新信息。此外，该项目将研究对实际极端变暖事件的生态反应和恢复 - 2003年欧洲热浪和2011年澳大利亚西南部的ENSO事件 - 确定海洋生态系统对气候波动的弹性。基于现场的研究还将与一套中辅实验相称，这些实验评估了海洋热浪对生态过程和物种相互作用的影响。最后，该项目将分析长期温度数据，以解读异常事件中的时间趋势，并开发对这些离散事件的生态反应的预测模型。该研究计划将产生有关极端气候事件如何影响有价值的沿海生态系统生态学的重要信息，这是迫切需要的，以预测和适应我们海洋的气候变化。