Pencil urchin respiration rates at different temperatures from four sites in the Galápagos archipelago

The responses of ectothermic organisms to changes in temperature can be modified by acclimatization or adaptation to local thermal conditions. Thus, the effect of global warming and the deleterious effects of extreme highs (e.g., heatwaves) on the metabolism and fitness of ectotherms can be population-specific and reduced at warmer sites. We tested the hypothesis that grazer populations at warmer sites in the Galápagos are less thermally sensitive than populations at cooler sites (i.e., potentially due to acclimatization or adaptation). We quantified the acute thermal sensitivity of four populations of the pencil sea urchin, Eucidaris galapagensis, by measuring individual oxygen consumption across a range of temperatures. Thermal performance curves were estimated for each population and compared to the local ocean temperature regime. Results indicated that E. galapagensis populations were adapted and/or acclimatized to local thermal conditions as populations at warm sites had substantially higher thermal tolerance. The acute thermal optimums (Topt) for the warmest and coolest site populations differed by 3°C and the Topt was positively correlated with maximum temperature recorded at each site. Additionally, temperature-normalized respiration rates and activation energy were negatively related to the maximum temperature. Understanding the temperature-dependent performance of the pencil urchin (the most significant mesograzer in this system), including its population-specificity, provides insight into how herbivores and the functions they perform might be affected by further ocean heating.