Jakob Thyrring

Genetic diversity and connectivity within Mytilus spp. in the subarctic and Arctic

Climate changes in the Arctic are predicted to alter distributions of marine species. However, such changes are difficult to quantify because information on present species distribution and the genetic variation within species is lacking or poorly examined. Blue mussels, Mytilus spp., are ecosystem engineers in the coastal zone globally. To improve knowledge of distribution and genetic structure of the Mytilus edulis complex in the Arctic, we analyzed 81 SNPs in 534 Mytilus spp. individuals sampled at 13 sites to provide baseline data for distribution and genetic variation of Mytilus mussels in the European Arctic. Mytilus edulis was the most abundant species found with a clear genetic split between populations in Greenland and the Eastern Atlantic. Surprisingly, analyses revealed the presence of Mytilus trossulus in high Arctic NW Greenland (77°N) and Mytilus galloprovincialis or their hybrids in SW Greenland, Svalbard, and the Pechora Sea. Furthermore, a high degree of hybridization and introgression between species was observed. Our study highlights the importance of distinguishing between congener species, which can display local adaptation and suggests that information on dispersal routes and barriers is essential for accurate predictions of regional susceptibility to range expansions or invasions of boreal species in the Arctic.

Long photoperiods sustain high pH in Arctic kelp forests

In situ measurements and aquaria manipulation show that long summer days lead to sustained high pH in Arctic kelp forests. Concern on the impacts of ocean acidification on calcifiers, such as bivalves, sea urchins, and foraminifers, has led to efforts to understand the controls on pH in their habitats, which include kelp forests and seagrass meadows. The metabolism of these habitats can lead to diel fluctuation in pH with increases during the day and declines at night, suggesting no net effect on pH at time scales longer than daily. We examined the capacity of subarctic and Arctic kelps to up-regulate pH in situ and experimentally tested the role of photoperiod in determining the capacity of Arctic macrophytes to up-regulate pH. Field observations at photoperiods of 15 and 24 hours in Greenland combined with experimental manipulations of photoperiod show that photoperiods longer than 21 hours, characteristic of Arctic summers, are conducive to sustained up-regulation of pH by kelp photosynthesis. We report a gradual increase in pH of 0.15 units and a parallel decline in pCO2 of 100 parts per million over a 10-day period in an Arctic kelp forest over midsummer, with ample scope for continued pH increase during the months of continuous daylight. Experimental increase in CO2 concentration further stimulated the capacity of macrophytes to deplete CO2 and increase pH. We conclude that long photoperiods in Arctic summers support sustained up-regulation of pH in kelp forests, with potential benefits for calcifiers, and propose that this mechanism may increase with the projected expansion of Arctic vegetation in response to warming and loss of sea ice.

Large-scale facilitation of a sessile community by an invasive habitat-forming snail

We provide an example of extensive facilitation of a sessile community throughout an invaded estuary by the invasive snail Batillaria australis. We show that B. australis greatly increases a limiting resource (attachment space) to a community of sessile organisms and estimate that a large part of the invaded estuary now contain ca. 50 times more sessile individuals associated with the invader than all native snails combined. We argue that native snails are unlikely to have been dramatically reduced by the invader, and we therefore suggest that the shell-attached sessile community, as a functional group, has benefitted significantly from this invasion. These results expand the current understanding of how invaded marine systems respond to habitat-forming invaders.

Diversity and abundance of epibiota on invasive and native estuarine gastropods depend on substratum and salinity.

Our understanding of variation in epibiota communities remains incomplete. This study relates such variability to multiple concurrent environmental factors. Specifically we determined the relative importance of salinity, depth, wave exposure, habitat and ‘shell type’ (shell type combined species, size, morphology and mobility traits) for community structure of sessile epibiota on gastropods in the Swan River Estuary, Australia. We quantified distribution, biofouling patterns, and detailed epibiota community structures on gastropod species in the estuary – the native Nassarius pauperatus and Bedeva paiva and the invasive Batillaria australis. The invasive Batillaria was much more abundant, and more biofouled, than any of the native species, thereby supporting orders of magnitude more epibiota in the estuary. Generalised linear models were used to partition variation in richness and abundance of epibiota among the above listed factors. Of the five factors were only shell type and salinity significant in 9 of 14 models. These results highlight (1) that a single invasive species can alter epibiota communities on a large system-wide scale, (2) an overwhelming importance of shell type and salinity in explaining estuarine epibiota communities, and (3) that additional environmental factors need to be included in future studies to improve predictive models of distribution for epibiota communities.

Climate-change-induced range shifts of three allergenic ragweeds (Ambrosia L.) in Europe and their potential impact on human health

Invasive allergenic plant species may have severe health-related impacts. In this study we aim to predict the effects of climate change on the distribution of three allergenic ragweed species (Ambrosia spp.) in Europe and discuss the potential associated health impact. We built species distribution models based on presence-only data for three ragweed species, using MAXENT software. Future climatic habitat suitability was modeled under two IPCC climate change scenarios (RCP 6.0 and RCP 8.5). We quantify the extent of the increase in ‘high allergy risk’ (HAR) areas, i.e., parts of Europe with climatic conditions corresponding to the highest quartile (25%) of present day habitat suitability for each of the three species. We estimate that by year 2100, the distribution range of all three ragweed species increases towards Northern and Eastern Europe under all climate scenarios. HAR areas will expand in Europe by 27–100%, depending on species and climate scenario. Novel HAR areas will occur mostly in Denmark, France, Germany, Russia and the Baltic countries, and overlap with densely populated cities such as Paris and St. Petersburg. We conclude that areas in Europe affected by severe ragweed associated allergy problems are likely to increase substantially by year 2100, affecting millions of people. To avoid this, management strategies must be developed that restrict ragweed dispersal and establishment of new populations. Precautionary efforts should limit the spread of ragweed seeds and reduce existing populations. Only by applying cross-countries management plans can managers mitigate future health risks and economical consequences of a ragweed expansion in Europe.

Blue mussel shell shape plasticity and natural environments: a quantitative approach

Shape variability represents an important direct response of organisms to selective environments. Here, we use a combination of geometric morphometrics and generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs) to identify spatial patterns of natural shell shape variation in the North Atlantic and Arctic blue mussels, Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus, with environmental gradients of temperature, salinity and food availability across 3980 km of coastlines. New statistical methods and multiple study systems at various geographical scales allowed the uncoupling of the developmental and genetic contributions to shell shape and made it possible to identify general relationships between blue mussel shape variation and environment that are independent of age and species influences. We find salinity had the strongest effect on the latitudinal patterns of Mytilus shape, producing shells that were more elongated, narrower and with more parallel dorsoventral margins at lower salinities. Temperature and food supply, however, were the main drivers of mussel shape heterogeneity. Our findings revealed similar shell shape responses in Mytilus to less favourable environmental conditions across the different geographical scales analysed. Our results show how shell shape plasticity represents a powerful indicator to understand the alterations of blue mussel communities in rapidly changing environments.

Plasticity and environmental heterogeneity predict geographic resilience patterns of foundation species to future change

Although geographic patterns of species’ sensitivity to global environmental changes are defined by interacting multiple stressors, little is known about the biological mechanisms shaping regional differences in organismal vulnerability. Here, we examine large-scale spatial variations in biomineralisation under heterogeneous environmental gradients of temperature, salinity and food availability across a 30° latitudinal range (3,334 km), to test whether plasticity in calcareous shell production and composition, from juveniles to large adults, mediates geographic patterns of resilience to climate change in critical foundation species, the mussels Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus. We find mussels produced thinner shells with a higher organic content in polar than temperature regions, indicating decreasing shell calcification towards high latitudes. Salinity was the major driver of regional differences in mussel shell deposition, and in shell mineral and organic composition. In low-salinity environments, the production of calcite and organic shell layers was increased, providing higher resistance against dissolution in more corrosive waters. Conversely, under higher-salinity regimes, increased aragonite deposition suggests enhanced mechanical protection from predators. Interacting strong effects of decreasing salinity and increasing food availability on the compositional shell plasticity in polar and subpolar mussels during growth predict the deposition of a thicker external organic layer (periostracum) under forecasted future environmental conditions. This marked response potential of Mytilus species suggests a capacity for increased protection of high-latitude mussel populations from ocean acidification. Our work illustrates that mechanisms driving plastic responses to the spatial structure of multiple stressors can define geographic patterns of unforeseen species resilience to global environmental change.

Supplementary Data and Codes: "Blue mussel shell shape plasticity and natural environments: a quantitative approach"

These dataset contain supplementary data and codes supporting the morphometrics and statistical analyses for the publication entitled “Blue mussel shell shape plasticity and natural environments: a quantitative approach”: 1) Raw data (.rda, 3 files) for geometric morphometrics analyses with the Momocs (Bonhomme et al. 2014, J Stat Softw, DOI: 10.18637/jss.v056.i13) package with the R software; 2) Raw morphometrics data (.txt, 7 files) for morphometrics and statistical analyses; 3) Reports of R scripts and codes (.pdf, 4 files) in R-markdown format; 4) Supporting R script with utility codes (.R format, 1 file); 5) Description file providing additional information on data and codes included (.pdf, 1 file). Data were collected as part of the EU Marie Curie programme, Calcium in a Changing Environment – Initial Training Networks (CACHE-ITN).