Examining the ecological consequences of climate-driven shifts in the structure of NE Atlantic kelp forests

Kelps are foundation species in temperate coastal waters and have elevated importance in the maintenance of ecosystem structure and functioning1. Kelp forests provide a range of ecosystem goods and services (e.g. habitat for exploited finfish and shellfish, carbon capture and export, nutrient cycling, coastal defense), and improved understanding of the wider effects of environmental change on these habitats is vital to inform management and conservation actions. The structure of kelp forests in the NE Atlantic is changing in response to climate change and other anthropogenic stressors, with potential implications for the functioning of coastal marine ecosystems2. Specifically, the distributions of several canopy-forming kelp species have responded to ocean warming, with cold water species exhibiting poleward range contractions (e.g. Alaria esculenta, Laminaria digitata) and 'warm' water or opportunistic species have seemingly increased in abundance (e.g. Sacchorhiza polyschides, Laminaria ochroleuca) in some regions. This project will provide a robust assessment of the degree of recent ecological change in kelp forest habitats by resurveying historical sites and it will enhance understanding of how changes in the identity and abundance of canopy-forming species may affect the overall ecological functioning of kelp forests (e.g. productivity, energy capture and export, biodiversity maintenance and resilience).