Meeting Abstract

P2.22  Thursday, Jan. 5  Modelling in the waves: Significance of wave splash to the survival of intertidal organisms FOCKLER, Shadow L*; HELMUTH, Brian; Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia; Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia focklers@email.sc.edu

The body temperature of intertidal animals during aerial exposure at low tide can have significant impacts on their survival and physiological performance. Thus, understanding the potential impacts of changes in both aerial and submerged body temperature are important considerations for predicting the likely impacts of climate change on intertidal communities. Understanding the role of wave splash is key not only for predicting these impacts in areas of different wave exposure, but also for applied applications such as understanding the potential impacts of physical structures such as breakwaters and wave energy farms. A biophysical heat budget model was used to conduct a sensitivity analysis of the effects of environmental factors including wave splash on the aerial body temperature of the mussel Mytilus californianus. Results of the model were compared against in situ measurements using environmental inputs from either a local weather station or from reanalyzed large scale data (National Center for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System Reanalysis). Results indicate that the model successfully predicts aerial body temperatures to within approximately 2.8°C (local weather station) to 3.3°C (CFSR), and that at least at the site tested (Bodega Bay, CA), animal temperatures are surprisingly insensitive to changes in the nearshore wave climate.