Researcher ORCID Identifier

0000-0003-4508-6760

Graduation Year

2022

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Biology

Reader 1

Sarah Gilman

Reader 2

Erin Jones

Rights Information

2022 Elizabeth P Ueland

Abstract

With increases in global temperatures, it is essential to understand the future impacts of thermal stress on rocky intertidal environments, which act as important coastal buffer zones and support biodiversity. The acorn barnacle Balanus glandula is an ideal organism for examining physiological stress responses due to its exposure to sublethal conditions and high levels of thermal stress. Thermal Performance Curves (TPCs) and energetic cost estimates are commonly used to predict organismal responses to warming temperatures, however, direct comparisons between estimated cost and in situ growth have not been made with a combination of laboratory and field experiments. I hypothesized that the estimated energetic cost of emersion for B. glandula would be inversely related to in situ growth rates across elevation and season. Growth measurements were taken at Friday Harbor, Washington across low, mid, and high intertidal elevations during two seasons, and previously collected experimental data of B. glandula respiration rates were fitted to an MTE curve and incorporated into the Boltzmann-Arrhenius equation to calculate energetic costs. Across elevations and seasons, there was an overall negative relationship between summed cost and mean growth, although not statistically significant. These results indicate that while cost estimates are generally reflective of growth rates, other environmental factors may mediate B. glandula growth and cost. However, future studies are needed to further characterize the efficacy of these cost estimates due to their importance in predicting the impacts of climate change on B. glandula and other intertidal species.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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