Consequences of thermal plasticity for hypoxic performance in coastal amphipods.

Physiological plasticity may confer an ability to deal with the effect of rapid climate change on aquatic ectotherms. However, plasticity induced by one stressor may only be adaptive in situ if it generates cross-tolerance to other stressors. Understanding the consequences of thermal acclimation on hypoxia thresholds is vital to understanding future climate-driven hypoxia. We tested if thermal acclimation benefits hypoxic performance in four closely-related amphipod species. The effects of thermal acclimation (7 days at 10 or 20 °C) on routine metabolic rate (RMR) and critical oxygen tensions (P crit) were determined at a standardised test temperature (20 °C). Gammarus chevreuxi and Echinogammarus marinus displayed increased P crit with acute warming but warm acclimation negated this increase. P crit of Gammarus duebeni was thermally insensitive. Gammarus zaddachi displayed increased P crit upon acute warming but little change via acclimation. Cross-tolerance between thermal plasticity and hypoxia may improve performance for some, but not all, species under future environmental change. • Multi-species test for cross-tolerance between thermal plasticity and hypoxia. • Acute warming impairs hypoxic performance in aquatic invertebrates. • Thermal plasticity improves hypoxic performance in some, but not all, species. • Variation in ability to thermally acclimate hypoxic performance may determine winners and losers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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