About this Research Topic
Marine ecosystems provide diverse and essential services to humankind, which are at the forefront of conservation concerns due to the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities. In recent decades, the frequency and intensity of extreme climate events, e.g., ocean deoxygenation, extreme temperature, and storm events, tend to increase in marine ecosystems. These extreme climate events may affect the dynamics of marine ecosystems as well as various components within (e.g., species distribution, population dynamics, food web structure, ecosystem energy flow, etc.). Additionally, these ecological effects may differ across a wide range of temporal, spatial, and organizational scales (e.g., individual, population, community, and ecosystem levels). To cope with challenges associated with extreme climate events, it is important to understand the mechanisms via which they affect marine ecosystems.
In contrast to gradual climate change (e.g., global warming), extreme climate events feature drastic and rapid changes in environmental conditions. These sudden changes may affect marine ecosystems in a way that resembles pulse disturbance which is different from those caused by gradual and continuous changes. Consequently, novel responses to extreme climate events may be observed in the changes in the physiological functioning, behavior, and demographic traits of marine organisms (e.g., planktons, fishes, invertebrates, and mammals), shifts in the size structure, spatial range, and seasonal abundance of populations, and changes in community structure and ecosystem function. Therefore, the purpose of this research topic is to understand the effects of extreme climate events on marine ecosystems at different levels and seek management solutions.
This Research Topic calls for original and novel papers on any of the following topics (but not limited to):
1. Effects of extreme climate events on the physiology and biology of marine organisms at the individual level.
2. Population-level responses (e.g., shifts in biological characteristics, size structure, spatial distribution, abundance, etc.) of marine organisms to extreme climate events.
3. Direct and indirect effects of extreme climatic events on marine fish or plankton communities.
4. Effects of extreme climate events on ecosystem structure and function.
5. Management strategies to cope with and/or adapt to extreme climate events in marine ecosystem conservation.
In contrast to gradual climate change (e.g., global warming), extreme climate events feature drastic and rapid changes in environmental conditions. These sudden changes may affect marine ecosystems in a way that resembles pulse disturbance which is different from those caused by gradual and continuous changes. Consequently, novel responses to extreme climate events may be observed in the changes in the physiological functioning, behavior, and demographic traits of marine organisms (e.g., planktons, fishes, invertebrates, and mammals), shifts in the size structure, spatial range, and seasonal abundance of populations, and changes in community structure and ecosystem function. Therefore, the purpose of this research topic is to understand the effects of extreme climate events on marine ecosystems at different levels and seek management solutions.
This Research Topic calls for original and novel papers on any of the following topics (but not limited to):
1. Effects of extreme climate events on the physiology and biology of marine organisms at the individual level.
2. Population-level responses (e.g., shifts in biological characteristics, size structure, spatial distribution, abundance, etc.) of marine organisms to extreme climate events.
3. Direct and indirect effects of extreme climatic events on marine fish or plankton communities.
4. Effects of extreme climate events on ecosystem structure and function.
5. Management strategies to cope with and/or adapt to extreme climate events in marine ecosystem conservation.
Keywords: extreme climate events; marine ecosystems; ecological components ; ecosystem function; management strategies
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
