Jennifer Donelson | James Cook University (original) (raw)
Papers by Jennifer Donelson
Marine Biology, Mar 30, 2018
Coral Reefs, Mar 27, 2012
Nature Climate Change, Dec 4, 2011
Nature Climate Change, Apr 30, 2018
Global Change Biology, Oct 12, 2017
Ecology and Evolution, Aug 1, 2023
Rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and populations worldwide, and ectotherm... more Rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and populations worldwide, and ectothermic taxa are particularly vulnerable to warming. Echinoderms are an ecologically important phylum of marine ectotherms and shifts in their population dynamics can have profound impacts on the marine environment. The effects of warming on echinoderms are highly variable across controlled laboratory-based studies. Accordingly, synthesis of these studies will facilitate the better understanding of broad patterns in responses of echinoderms to ocean warming. Herein, a meta-analysis incorporating the results of 85 studies (710 individual responses) is presented, exploring the effects of warming on various performance predictors. The mean responses of echinoderms to all magnitudes of warming were compared across multiple biological responses, ontogenetic life stages, taxonomic classes, and regions, facilitated by multivariate linear mixed effects models. Further models were conducted which only incorporated responses to warming greater than the projected end-of-century mean annual temperatures at the collection sites. This meta-analysis provides evidence that ocean warming will generally accelerate metabolic rate (+ 32%) and reduce survival (– 35%) in echinoderms, and echinoderms from sub-tropical (– 9%) and tropical (– 8%) regions will be the most vulnerable. The relatively high vulnerability of echinoderm larvae to warming (– 20%) indicates that this life stage may be a significant developmental bottleneck in the near-future, likely reducing successful recruitment into populations. Furthermore, asteroids appear to be the class of echinoderms that are most negatively affected by elevated temperature (– 30%). When considering only responses to magnitudes of warming representative of end-of-century climate change projections, the negative impacts on asteroids, tropical species and juveniles were exacerbated (– 51%, – 34%, and – 40% respectively). The results of these analyses enable better predictions of how keystone and invasive echinoderm species may perform in a warmer ocean, and the possible consequences for populations, communities, and ecosystems.
Frontiers in Marine Science, Apr 20, 2022
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd eBooks, Sep 22, 2017
The chapter summarizes global biodiversity patterns in oceans, with comments on estuaries and fre... more The chapter summarizes global biodiversity patterns in oceans, with comments on estuaries and freshwater habitats, and the influence climate change may have on these patterns. Biodiversity patterns at a global scale owe much to climate and dispersal capabilities of individual organisms. The ocean constitutes over 90% of the habitable space on the planet. Thirty per cent of extant phylogenic groups are exclusively marine, whereas only one phylum (Arachnida) is exclusively terrestrial. However, of the estimated 8.7 million species on Earth, 2.2 million are estimated to be marine with 90% yet to be described (Mora et al., 2011). The Achi Biodiversity Targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity aim to conserve 17% of land and freshwater and 10% of marine and coastal areas by 2020. Presently, approximately 12% of the land area is protected, against <1% of the world's oceans and adjacent seas, representing roughly 70% and 10% of the 2020 conservation goals set by the Achi targets. The abundance of life in oceans is extremely variable, with high species diversity and biomass on many continental shelf seas particularly the western equatorial Pacific region where coral reefs support a rich biodiversity (Tittensor et al., 2010), estimated over 1,000 species per m2. Oceans are major sources of global wealth, and ocean fisheries provide over 15% of human dietary intake of animal protein. However, they are all vulnerable to impacts of different types – commercial overexploitation of the world's fish stocks is so severe that it has been estimated that up to 13% of global fisheries have collapsed. This chapter will discuss the major climate change‐linked stressors that affect ocean biodiversity, and how these act via direct and indirect means to affect fish populations and assemblages. We will look at a range of approaches to understanding climate change responses, including empirical, physiological, behavioral, and modeling.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Jan 28, 2019
Nature Climate Change, Sep 1, 2017
Rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and populations worldwide, and ectotherm... more Rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and populations worldwide, and ectothermic taxa are particularly vulnerable to warming. Echinoderms are an ecologically important phylum of marine ectotherms and shifts in their population dynamics can have profound impacts on the marine environment. The effects of warming on echinoderms are highly variable across controlled laboratory-based studies. Accordingly, synthesis of these studies will facilitate the better understanding of broad patterns in responses of echinoderms to ocean warming. Herein, a meta-analysis incorporating the results of 85 studies (710 individual responses) is presented, exploring the effects of warming on various performance predictors. The mean responses of echinoderms to all magnitudes of warming were compared across multiple biological responses, ontogenetic life stages, taxonomic classes, and regions, facilitated by multivariate linear mixed effects models. Further models were conducted which only...
CRC Press eBooks, Sep 6, 2022
Global change biology, Jul 1, 2018
Climate change is expected to pose a significant risk to species that exhibit strong behavioural ... more Climate change is expected to pose a significant risk to species that exhibit strong behavioural preferences for specific habitat types, with generalist species assumed to be less vulnerable. In this study, we conducted habitat choice experiments to determine how water temperature influences habitat preference for three common species of coral reef damselfish (Pomacentridae) that differ in their levels of habitat specialisation. The lemon damselfish Pomacentrus moluccensis, a habitat specialist, consistently selected complex coral habitat across all temperature treatments (selected based on local average seasonal temperatures naturally experienced in situ: ambient winter 22°C; ambient summer 28°C; and elevated 31°C). Unexpectedly, the neon damselfish Pomacentrus coelestis and scissortail sergeant Abudefduf sexfasciatus, both of which have more generalist habitat associations, developed strong habitat preferences (for complex coral and boulder habitat, respectively) at the elevated t...
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Jan 28, 2019
Ocean warming is a threat to marine biodiversity, as it can push marine species beyond their phys... more Ocean warming is a threat to marine biodiversity, as it can push marine species beyond their physiological limits. Detrimental effects can occur when marine poikilotherms are exposed to conditions beyond their optimal thermal range. However, acclamatory mechanisms, such as plasticity, may enable compensation of detrimental effects if warming is experienced during development or across generations. Studies evaluating the molecular responses of fishes to warming have mostly focused on liver, muscle and gonads, and consequently little is known about the effects on other vital organs, including the brain. This study evaluated the transcriptional program of the brain in the coral reef fish Acanthochromis polyacanthus, exposed to two different warming scenarios: +1.5°C and +3.0°C, across successive generations. Fish were exposed to these conditions in both developmental (F1 and F2) and transgenerational settings (F2 only), as well as a treatment with step-wise warming between generations....
The Biological Bulletin, 2021
Climate change and population irruptions of crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster sp.) are two o... more Climate change and population irruptions of crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster sp.) are two of the most pervasive threats to coral reefs. Yet there has been little consideration regarding the synergies between ocean warming and the coral-feeding sub-adult and adult stages of this asteroid. Here we explored the thermosensitivity of the aforementioned life stages by assessing physiological responses to acute warming. Thermal sensitivity was assessed based on the maximal activity of enzymes involved in aerobic (citrate synthase) and anaerobic (lactate dehydrogenase) metabolic pathways, as well as the standard metabolic rate of sub-adult and adult sea stars. In both life stages, citrate synthase activity declined with increasing temperature from 15 °C to 40 °C, with negligible activity occurring >35 °C. On the other hand, lactate dehydrogenase activity increased with temperature from 20 °C to 45 °C, indicating a greater reliance on anaerobic metabolism in a warmer environment. The standard metabolic rate of sub-adult sea stars increased with temperature throughout the testing range (24 °C to 36 °C). Adult sea stars exhibited evidence of thermal stress, with metabolic depression occurring from 33 °C. Here, we demonstrate that crown-of-thorns sea stars are sensitive to warming but that adults, and especially sub-adults, may have some resilience to short-term marine heatwaves in the near future.
Marine Environmental Research, 2020
Scientific Reports, 2019
Under projected levels of ocean acidification, shifts in energetic demands and food availability ... more Under projected levels of ocean acidification, shifts in energetic demands and food availability could interact to effect the growth and development of marine organisms. Changes to individual growth rates could then flow on to influence emergent properties of social groups, particularly in species that form size-based hierarchies. To test the potential interactive effects of (1) food availability, (2) elevated CO2 during juvenile development, and (3) parental experience of elevated CO2 on the growth, condition and size-based hierarchy of juvenile fish, we reared orange clownfish (Amphiprion percula) for 50 days post-hatching in a fully orthogonal design. Development in elevated CO2 reduced standard length and weight of juveniles, by 9% and 11% respectively, compared to ambient. Development under low food availability reduced length and weight of juveniles by 7% and 15% respectively, compared to high food. Parental exposure to elevated CO2 restored the length of juveniles to that of ...
Data file containing the means and standard errors of reproductive data used in "Transgenera... more Data file containing the means and standard errors of reproductive data used in "Transgenerational plasticity of reproduction depends on on rate of warming across generations"
Marine Biology, Mar 30, 2018
Coral Reefs, Mar 27, 2012
Nature Climate Change, Dec 4, 2011
Nature Climate Change, Apr 30, 2018
Global Change Biology, Oct 12, 2017
Ecology and Evolution, Aug 1, 2023
Rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and populations worldwide, and ectotherm... more Rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and populations worldwide, and ectothermic taxa are particularly vulnerable to warming. Echinoderms are an ecologically important phylum of marine ectotherms and shifts in their population dynamics can have profound impacts on the marine environment. The effects of warming on echinoderms are highly variable across controlled laboratory-based studies. Accordingly, synthesis of these studies will facilitate the better understanding of broad patterns in responses of echinoderms to ocean warming. Herein, a meta-analysis incorporating the results of 85 studies (710 individual responses) is presented, exploring the effects of warming on various performance predictors. The mean responses of echinoderms to all magnitudes of warming were compared across multiple biological responses, ontogenetic life stages, taxonomic classes, and regions, facilitated by multivariate linear mixed effects models. Further models were conducted which only incorporated responses to warming greater than the projected end-of-century mean annual temperatures at the collection sites. This meta-analysis provides evidence that ocean warming will generally accelerate metabolic rate (+ 32%) and reduce survival (– 35%) in echinoderms, and echinoderms from sub-tropical (– 9%) and tropical (– 8%) regions will be the most vulnerable. The relatively high vulnerability of echinoderm larvae to warming (– 20%) indicates that this life stage may be a significant developmental bottleneck in the near-future, likely reducing successful recruitment into populations. Furthermore, asteroids appear to be the class of echinoderms that are most negatively affected by elevated temperature (– 30%). When considering only responses to magnitudes of warming representative of end-of-century climate change projections, the negative impacts on asteroids, tropical species and juveniles were exacerbated (– 51%, – 34%, and – 40% respectively). The results of these analyses enable better predictions of how keystone and invasive echinoderm species may perform in a warmer ocean, and the possible consequences for populations, communities, and ecosystems.
Frontiers in Marine Science, Apr 20, 2022
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd eBooks, Sep 22, 2017
The chapter summarizes global biodiversity patterns in oceans, with comments on estuaries and fre... more The chapter summarizes global biodiversity patterns in oceans, with comments on estuaries and freshwater habitats, and the influence climate change may have on these patterns. Biodiversity patterns at a global scale owe much to climate and dispersal capabilities of individual organisms. The ocean constitutes over 90% of the habitable space on the planet. Thirty per cent of extant phylogenic groups are exclusively marine, whereas only one phylum (Arachnida) is exclusively terrestrial. However, of the estimated 8.7 million species on Earth, 2.2 million are estimated to be marine with 90% yet to be described (Mora et al., 2011). The Achi Biodiversity Targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity aim to conserve 17% of land and freshwater and 10% of marine and coastal areas by 2020. Presently, approximately 12% of the land area is protected, against <1% of the world's oceans and adjacent seas, representing roughly 70% and 10% of the 2020 conservation goals set by the Achi targets. The abundance of life in oceans is extremely variable, with high species diversity and biomass on many continental shelf seas particularly the western equatorial Pacific region where coral reefs support a rich biodiversity (Tittensor et al., 2010), estimated over 1,000 species per m2. Oceans are major sources of global wealth, and ocean fisheries provide over 15% of human dietary intake of animal protein. However, they are all vulnerable to impacts of different types – commercial overexploitation of the world's fish stocks is so severe that it has been estimated that up to 13% of global fisheries have collapsed. This chapter will discuss the major climate change‐linked stressors that affect ocean biodiversity, and how these act via direct and indirect means to affect fish populations and assemblages. We will look at a range of approaches to understanding climate change responses, including empirical, physiological, behavioral, and modeling.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Jan 28, 2019
Nature Climate Change, Sep 1, 2017
Rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and populations worldwide, and ectotherm... more Rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and populations worldwide, and ectothermic taxa are particularly vulnerable to warming. Echinoderms are an ecologically important phylum of marine ectotherms and shifts in their population dynamics can have profound impacts on the marine environment. The effects of warming on echinoderms are highly variable across controlled laboratory-based studies. Accordingly, synthesis of these studies will facilitate the better understanding of broad patterns in responses of echinoderms to ocean warming. Herein, a meta-analysis incorporating the results of 85 studies (710 individual responses) is presented, exploring the effects of warming on various performance predictors. The mean responses of echinoderms to all magnitudes of warming were compared across multiple biological responses, ontogenetic life stages, taxonomic classes, and regions, facilitated by multivariate linear mixed effects models. Further models were conducted which only...
CRC Press eBooks, Sep 6, 2022
Global change biology, Jul 1, 2018
Climate change is expected to pose a significant risk to species that exhibit strong behavioural ... more Climate change is expected to pose a significant risk to species that exhibit strong behavioural preferences for specific habitat types, with generalist species assumed to be less vulnerable. In this study, we conducted habitat choice experiments to determine how water temperature influences habitat preference for three common species of coral reef damselfish (Pomacentridae) that differ in their levels of habitat specialisation. The lemon damselfish Pomacentrus moluccensis, a habitat specialist, consistently selected complex coral habitat across all temperature treatments (selected based on local average seasonal temperatures naturally experienced in situ: ambient winter 22°C; ambient summer 28°C; and elevated 31°C). Unexpectedly, the neon damselfish Pomacentrus coelestis and scissortail sergeant Abudefduf sexfasciatus, both of which have more generalist habitat associations, developed strong habitat preferences (for complex coral and boulder habitat, respectively) at the elevated t...
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Jan 28, 2019
Ocean warming is a threat to marine biodiversity, as it can push marine species beyond their phys... more Ocean warming is a threat to marine biodiversity, as it can push marine species beyond their physiological limits. Detrimental effects can occur when marine poikilotherms are exposed to conditions beyond their optimal thermal range. However, acclamatory mechanisms, such as plasticity, may enable compensation of detrimental effects if warming is experienced during development or across generations. Studies evaluating the molecular responses of fishes to warming have mostly focused on liver, muscle and gonads, and consequently little is known about the effects on other vital organs, including the brain. This study evaluated the transcriptional program of the brain in the coral reef fish Acanthochromis polyacanthus, exposed to two different warming scenarios: +1.5°C and +3.0°C, across successive generations. Fish were exposed to these conditions in both developmental (F1 and F2) and transgenerational settings (F2 only), as well as a treatment with step-wise warming between generations....
The Biological Bulletin, 2021
Climate change and population irruptions of crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster sp.) are two o... more Climate change and population irruptions of crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster sp.) are two of the most pervasive threats to coral reefs. Yet there has been little consideration regarding the synergies between ocean warming and the coral-feeding sub-adult and adult stages of this asteroid. Here we explored the thermosensitivity of the aforementioned life stages by assessing physiological responses to acute warming. Thermal sensitivity was assessed based on the maximal activity of enzymes involved in aerobic (citrate synthase) and anaerobic (lactate dehydrogenase) metabolic pathways, as well as the standard metabolic rate of sub-adult and adult sea stars. In both life stages, citrate synthase activity declined with increasing temperature from 15 °C to 40 °C, with negligible activity occurring >35 °C. On the other hand, lactate dehydrogenase activity increased with temperature from 20 °C to 45 °C, indicating a greater reliance on anaerobic metabolism in a warmer environment. The standard metabolic rate of sub-adult sea stars increased with temperature throughout the testing range (24 °C to 36 °C). Adult sea stars exhibited evidence of thermal stress, with metabolic depression occurring from 33 °C. Here, we demonstrate that crown-of-thorns sea stars are sensitive to warming but that adults, and especially sub-adults, may have some resilience to short-term marine heatwaves in the near future.
Marine Environmental Research, 2020
Scientific Reports, 2019
Under projected levels of ocean acidification, shifts in energetic demands and food availability ... more Under projected levels of ocean acidification, shifts in energetic demands and food availability could interact to effect the growth and development of marine organisms. Changes to individual growth rates could then flow on to influence emergent properties of social groups, particularly in species that form size-based hierarchies. To test the potential interactive effects of (1) food availability, (2) elevated CO2 during juvenile development, and (3) parental experience of elevated CO2 on the growth, condition and size-based hierarchy of juvenile fish, we reared orange clownfish (Amphiprion percula) for 50 days post-hatching in a fully orthogonal design. Development in elevated CO2 reduced standard length and weight of juveniles, by 9% and 11% respectively, compared to ambient. Development under low food availability reduced length and weight of juveniles by 7% and 15% respectively, compared to high food. Parental exposure to elevated CO2 restored the length of juveniles to that of ...
Data file containing the means and standard errors of reproductive data used in "Transgenera... more Data file containing the means and standard errors of reproductive data used in "Transgenerational plasticity of reproduction depends on on rate of warming across generations"