Upper Temperature Limits of Tropical Marine Ectotherms: Global Warming Implications

摘要: Animal physiology, ecology and evolution are affected by temperature it is expected that community structure will be strongly influenced global warming. This particularly relevant in the tropics, where organisms already living close to their upper limits hence highly vulnerable rising temperature. Here we present data on of 34 tropical marine ectotherm species from seven phyla intertidal subtidal habitats. Short term thermal tolerances vertical distributions were correlated, i.e., shore animals have higher tolerance than lower animals; however, animals, despite respective tidal height, susceptible same long term. When temperatures raised 1°C hour−1, lethal range ectotherms was 41–52°C, but this narrower reduced 37–41°C animals. The rate change, differently. In chronic heating experiments when weekly or monthly instead every hour, decreased 40°C 35.4°C, while decrease more 10°C high organisms. Hence term, activity survival could compromised just 2–3°C above seawater temperatures. Differences between environments experience different levels variability suggest physiological mechanisms underlying sensitivity may vary at rates