Cold-blooded animals are especially at risk as the climate warms, but the remarkable temperature tolerance of the European green crab (Carcinus maenas; pictured) bodes well for the animal.
Carolyn Tepolt and George Somero at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove, California, studied the temperature tolerance of crabs by measuring the cardiac function of animals at seven sites in Europe and eastern North America with widely varying temperatures. They found that the crabs could withstand warmer waters before their cardiac function was compromised, compared to native crustaceans in many places. Crabs also thrived in colder habitats, and acclimatized quickly to temperature shifts.
Temperature tolerance has probably allowed this crab to spread rapidly along the coasts of North America, say the authors.
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Crabs ready for climate change. Nature 508, 11 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/508011e
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/508011e
