title: Contrasting environmental drivers of adult and juvenile growth in a marine fish: implications for the effects of climate change.
abstract: Many marine fishes have life history strategies that involve ontogenetic changes in the use of coastal habitats. Such ontogenetic shifts may place these species at particular risk from climate change, because the successive environments they inhabit can differ in the type, frequency and severity of changes related to global warming. We used a dendrochronology approach to examine the physical and biological drivers of growth of adult and juvenile mangrove jack (Lutjanus argentimaculatus) from tropical north-western Australia. Juveniles of this species inhabit estuarine environments and adults reside on coastal reefs. The Niño-4 index, a measure of the status of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) had the highest correlation with adult growth chronologies, with La Niña years (characterised by warmer temperatures and lower salinities) having positive impacts on growth. Atmospheric and oceanographic phenomena operating at ocean-basin scales seem to be important correlates of the processes driving growth in local coastal habitats. Conversely, terrestrial factors influencing precipitation and river runoff were positively correlated with the growth of juveniles in estuaries. Our results show that the impacts of climate change on these two life history stages are likely to be different, with implications for resilience and management of populations.
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Animal Biology and the Centre for Marine Futures (UWA Oceans Institute M096), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009 [2] Australian Institute of Marine Science, UWA Oceans Institute (M096), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009.
authors.forename: Joyce Jia Lin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, 1109 Geddes Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079, United States of America.
authors.forename: Adam Nicholas
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Rountrey
authors.affiliation: School of Animal Biology and the Centre for Marine Futures (UWA Oceans Institute M096), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009.
authors.forename: Jessica Jane
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Meeuwig
authors.affiliation: Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Fisheries, Government of Western Australia, PO Box 20, North Beach, Western Australia 6920.
authors.forename: Stephen John
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.affiliation: 1] Australian Institute of Marine Science, UWA Oceans Institute (M096), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009 [2] School of Earth and Environment and the UWA Oceans Institute (M096), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009 [3] School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa [4] Curtin University of Technology, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Kent Street, Perth, Western Australia 6845.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zinke
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Marine Science, UWA Oceans Institute (M096), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009.
authors.forename: Mark Gregory
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Meekan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057231:Climate Change; D017753:Ecosystem; D059000:El Nino-Southern Oscillation; D004777:Environment; D063366:Estuaries; D005399:Fishes / Q000254:growth & development*; D009791:Oceanography / Q000379:methods; D010473:Perciformes / Q000254:growth & development*; D013696:Temperature; D014904:Western Australia