Abstract:

Knowledge of the capacity for species to acclimate and adapt to rapid climate change is critical for understanding likely species responses, as well as for effective management of ecosystems in the future. Much of the research we utilize to predict species’ future responses uses the current-day performance and sensitivity of populations and species to infer the capacity for persistence in predicted future environments. This approach generally suggests negative impacts to most organisms and very little capacity to cope with expected future change. However, for most species projected environmental change will occur over years and generations. Through time plastic and adaptive processes can take place, which may allow maintained performance in future conditions. I will present a series of experiments across three generations using the coral reef damselfish, Acanthochromis polyanthus, to show how the experience of warmer ocean temperatures early in life or when previous generations have experienced conditions affects thermal