OOS 37 - Drivers of Change in Coastal Community Structure and Function

Organizer(s)

• ZM

  Zechariah Meunier, n/a

  PhD Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
  Oregon State University, United States

Co-Organizer(s)

• RS

  Ricardo Scrosati, PhD

  Full Professor
  St. Francis Xavier Univeristy
  Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada

Moderator(s)

• ZM

  Zechariah Meunier, n/a

  PhD Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
  Oregon State University, United States

Marine ecosystems are experiencing a multitude of anthropogenic pressures and changing climatic conditions. As a result, coastal communities from pelagic and benthic environments are undergoing significant shifts in structure (i.e., species diversity) and function (i.e., trait diversity). These changes are ultimately affecting coastal ecosystem services, which stresses the need to develop ecological theory to better understand change and adapt to it. The objectives of this organized oral session are to analyze how drivers of change are currently affecting coastal communities and to project how these drivers may evolve through the 21st century. Talks will emphasize interactions between marine community structure and function, effects of climate change on community stability, feedback loops between habitat-modifying traits and abiotic conditions, and synergistic effects of multiple drivers of change. To synthesize understanding across ecosystems and ocean basins, this session convenes ecologists with expertise in rocky intertidal, nearshore subtidal, seabird, salt marsh, and estuarine communities of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Presentations:

• 8:00 AM – 8:15 AM EDT

  Increasing instability of rocky intertidal communities driven by climate change
  

  Presenting Author: Bruce Menge, PhD – Oregon State University

  Co-author: Sarah A. Gravem, PhD – Oregon State Unversity

  Co-author: Jonathan Robinson – Oregon State Unversity

  Co-author: Brittany Poirson – Oregon State Unversity

  Co-author: Angela Johnson – Oregon State Unversity
• 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM EDT

  Cryptic algal species decouple functional diversity and community structure
  

  Presenting Author: Sophie J. McCoy, PhD – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  Co-author: Kerri L. Dobson – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 8:30 AM – 8:45 AM EDT

  Death on the beach: A citizen science approach to assessing climate impacts on Northeast Pacific seabird communities
  

  Presenting Author: Julia Parrish, PhD – University of Washington

  Co-author: Timothy T. Jones – University of Washington/COASST

  Co-author: Jacqueline K. Lindsey – University of Washington/COASST

  Co-author: Charles Wright – University of Washington/COASST
• 8:45 AM – 9:00 AM EDT

  Positive interactions in global marine forests increase with stress
  

  Presenting Author: Allison K. Barner, PhD – Colby College

  Co-author: Allison K. Barner, PhD – Colby College

  Co-author: Arley Muth – University of texas austin
• 9:00 AM – 9:15 AM EDT

  Stability of rocky intertidal communities, in response to species removal, varies across spatial scales
  

  Presenting Author: Nelson Valdivia, PhD – Universidad Austral de Chile
• 9:15 AM – 9:30 AM EDT

  Glacial influence on nearshore communities in high latitude estuaries
  

  Presenting Author: Brenda Konar, PhD – University of Alaska Fairbanks

  Co-author: Brenda Konar, PhD – University of Alaska Fairbanks

  Co-author: Amy Dowling – University of Alaska Fairbanks

  Co-author: Scott S. Gabara – University of Alaska Fairbanks

  Co-author: Katrin Iken – University of Alaska Fairbanks

  Co-author: James Schloemer – University of Alaska Fairbanks

  Co-author: Lindsey Stadler – University of Alaska Fairbanks

  Co-author: Schery Umanzor – University of Alaska Fairbanks