Predicted Effects of Climate Change on Northern Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia

Partial migration provides a mechanism for species to shift their geographic ranges into new, environmentally favorable regions but has been poorly studied as a means to alleviate effects of climate change. Populations at the edge of their geographic range are ideal to investigate how migratory behaviors may enable range expansion as adjacent areas become more climatically favorable. We determined the contribution of partial migration to the range expansion of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) using GPS data from tagged individuals that migrated between the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) and primary habitat in peninsular Florida. Most of these manatees migrated to the nGoM annually and exhibited high site fidelity among years. Many individuals spent cumulatively more time in the nGoM than in peninsular Florida, indicating the nGoM is a regular part of their geographic range, and they returned to peninsular Florida to meet temperature-related physiological needs for survival. Autumn migrations most frequently terminated at Crystal River, Florida, and manatees that commenced migration late in the season stopped less frequently and had more directed movements. Spring migrations most frequently terminated at Mobile Bay, Alabama, and several manatees quickly and directly migrated from Florida to nGoM stopover sites. Migrations ranged from 10 to 133 days in length, and variation in duration was primarily driven by use of stopover sites and directedness of travel. These data confirm partial migration as an important component of manatee migratory behavior that has already enabled range shifts for manatees on the U.S.A. Gulf of Mexico coast and has potential to facilitate future responses to climate change. As the most common type of migration across the animal kingdom, partial migration may provide a global mechanism for a diverse variety of species to resist the range limiting effects of climate change.

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ABSTRACT: Diachronous Response of Late Quaternary Deltas of the Northern Gulf of Mexico to Eustasy and Climate Change

AAPG Bulletin ◽

10.1306/8626d473-173b-11d7-8645000102c1865d ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 85 ◽

Author(s):

John B. Anderson1, Carmen M. Fratic

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Late Quaternary ◽

Northern Gulf Of Mexico

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Coastalplain Honeycombhead, Balduina angustifolia

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-sg163-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Debbie Miller ◽

Mack Thetford ◽

Chris Verlinde ◽

Gabriel Campbell ◽

Ashlynn Smith

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Coastal Plain ◽

Native Plants ◽

Barrier Islands ◽

Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Fact Sheet ◽

Dune Restoration ◽

Florida Panhandle

Coastalplain honeycombhead is found in beach dunes, coastal grasslands, and scrub throughout Florida and into Alabama and Mississippi. It is a prolific flower and seed producer that attracts numerous pollinators, including the gulf fritillary butterfly. Interestingly, the endemic, solitary, and ground-dwelling coastal plain Hesperapis (Hesperapis oraria), also known as Balduina bee, is completely dependent on the coastalplain honeycombhead for survival, only emerging from the ground a few weeks each year in September to October to collect pollen and nectar (Hunsburger 2013). This bee only occurs on barrier islands and peninsulas in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Hunsburger 2013) and is particularly vulnerable to climate-change-driven sea-levelrise and habitat fragmentation.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sg163 Note: This fact sheet is also available as a chapter in a comprehensive manual titled Dune Restoration and Enhancement for the Florida Panhandle, Please see the manual for more information about other useful and attractive native plants for dunes and for further information about restoration and preservation techniques.

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