Organism-Environment Interactions: An eco-physiological approach to understanding ocean change
In order to accurately predict how marine species will respond to human-mediated ocean change, it is critical to characterize their current environment and how far outside their physiological tolerances the environment is likely to move in both the short and long terms. As such, it is urgent to develop an understanding of the environmental sensitivities and thresholds that exist for high-latitude coastal ecosystems in response to ocean change. From a broad perspective, research in the Kelley Lab focuses on organism-environment interactions in near-shore environments, with the goal of understanding how this over-arching element will contribute to the outcome of species response to global environmental change (e.g., ocean acidification, increased ocean temperature and deoxygenation). This model can also be employed to determine physiological mechanisms that influence the successful establishment of non-native species. Notably, both of these research interests are strongly linked to studying marine populations in the Anthropocene, an era where human impact will play a strong role in structuring coastal marine populations/communities and altering marine resources.
Impacts of ocean acidification on subsistence species
Nearshore pH monitoring in Alaska
Species responses: Currently, the Kelley Lab is working with the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery in Seward, Alaska, located at the headwaters of Resurrection Bay. Thus far, we have conducted experiments to test the resilience of three the subsistence bivalve species- the butter clam (Saxidomus gigantea), the basket cockle (Clinocardium nuttallii) and the littleneck clam (Protothaca staminea) to predicted future conditions of ocean acidification. The Kelley lab has also carried out work characterizing the physiological response of larval razor clams, Siliqua patula, the Bedarki (black chiton) and pink salmon to ocean acidification, ocean warming, etc.
Nearshore carbonate chemistry monitoring:In collaboration with NOAA/Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Beaufort Lagoon LTER the Kelley Lab participates in multiple studies of nearshore carbonate chemistry dynamics in several of Alaska's marginal seas. Autonomous sensors have been deployed in Kachemak Bay, Juneau, Kaktovik and near the outflow of the Sagavanirktok River in the nearshore Beaufort Sea.
Publications oƗ Bacus, S.C., Kelley, A.L. (2023) Effects of ocean acidification and ocean warming on the behavior and physiology of a subarctic, intertidal grazer. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 711, 31-45. oƗ Muth, A., Kelley, A.L., Dunton, K. (2022). High-frequency pH time-series reveals pronounced seasonality in Arctic coastal waters. Limnology and Oceanography, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12080 oƗ Miller, C. A., & Kelley, A. L. (2021). Alkalinity Cycling And Carbonate Chemistry Decoupling in Seagrass Mystify Processes of Acidification Mitigation. Scientific Reports 11, 13500 oƗ Miller, C. A., & Kelley, A. L. (2021). Seasonality and biological forcing modify the diel frequency of nearshore pH extremes in a subarctic Alaskan estuary. Limnology and Oceanography, 66(4), 1475-1491 o* Khalsa, N. S., Gatt, K. P., Sutton, T. M., & Kelley, A. L. (2021). Characterization of the abiotic drivers of abundance of nearshore Arctic fishes. Ecology and evolution. 11, 11491–11506. oƗ Jones, B., Kelley, A.L., Hardy, S.M. (2021). Changes to benthic community structure may impact organic matter consumption on Pacific Arctic shelves. Conservation Physiology. 9(1), coab007 oƗ Miller, C. A., Bonsell, C., McTigue, N. D., & Kelley, A. L. (2021). The seasonal phases of an Arctic lagoon reveal the discontinuities of pH variability and CO2 flux at the air–sea interface. Biogeosciences, 18(3), 1203-1221 oƗ Miller, C., Pocock, K., Evans, W., Kelley, A.L. (2018) An evaluation of the performance of Sea-Bird Scientific's SeaFET™ autonomous pH sensor: considerations for the broader oceanographic community. Ocean Science oKelley, A.L., Lunden, J.J. (2017) Meta-analysis identifies metabolic sensitivities to ocean acidification. AIMS Environmental Science. 4(5): 709-729. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2017.5.709 o*Muñoz L., Kelley A.L., De Rivera C.E. (2017) The Effect of Salinity Acclimation on the Upper Thermal Tolerance Threshold of the European Green Crab . Fish & Ocean Opj.; 4(1): 555627 oKapsenberg, L., Kelley, A.L., Francis, L., Raskin, S. (2015) Exploring the complexity of ocean acidification: an ecosystem comparison of coastal pH variability. Science Scope, 39(3): 51-60. oKelley, A.L., de Rivera, C.E., Grosholz, E.D., Ruiz G.M., and Yamada, S., Gillespie, G. (2015) Thermogeographic variation in body size of Carcinus maenas, the European green crab. Marine Biology, 162.8: 1625-1635 oKapsenberg, L., Kelley, A.L., Shaw, E.C., Martz, T.R., Hofmann, G.E. (2015) Near-shore Antarctic pH variability has implications for the design of ocean acidification experiments. Scientific Reports, 5: 9638 doi:10.1038/srep09638 oKelley, A. L., Hanson, P.R., Kelley, S. (2015) Demonstrating the Effects of Ocean Acidification on Marine Organisms to Support Climate Change Understanding. The American Biology Teacher Journal. 77, 4: 258-263 oKelley, A. L. (2014) Review: The role thermal physiology plays in species invasion. Conservation Physiology. 2.1: cou045 oKelley, A. L., de Rivera, C. E., Buckley, B. A. (2013) Cold tolerance of the invasive Carcinus maenas in the east Pacific: molecular mechanisms and implications for range expansion in a changing climate. Biological Invasions, 1-11 oKelley, A. L., de Rivera, C. E., Buckley, B. A. (2011) Intraspecific variation in thermotolerance and morphology of the invasive European green crab, Carcinus maenas, on the west coast of North America. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 409, 70-78 oKelley, A. L. (2008) Food web Impacts of the invasive New Zealand Mudsnail in an estuarine system. McNair Online Journals. https://sites.google.com/site/psumcnairscholars/
Manuscripts in Review o Ɨ Washburn, M., Kelley, A. L. Embryonic and larval development of Siliqua patula, the Pacific razor clam. Journal of Molluscan Studies o Ɨ Washburn, M., Kelley, A. L. The response of Siliqua patula, the Pacific razor clam to variable pCO2. Frontiers in Marine Science oƗ Waterbury, C., Lopez, A., Kelley, A.L. ,Sutton, T. Effects of temperature acclimation on the upper thermal tolerance of two Arctic fishes. Conservation Physiology oƗ Gonski, S., Luther, G., Kelley, A.L., et al. A Half-Cell Reaction Approach for pH Calculation using a Solid-State Chloride Ion-Selective Electrode with a Hydrogen Ion-Selective Ion-Sensitive Field Effect Transistor. Marine Chemistry Manuscripts in Preparation oƗ Currie, J., Kelley, A.L. Assessing annual nearshore carbonate chemistry trends in Alaska’s marginal seas oƗ Bacus, S., Kelley, A.L. The effect of elevated pCO2 on two culturally important Alaskan bivalves oƗ Musbach, J., Levey, T., Kelley, A.L., Cadenhead, G., Tamone, S. Ocean acidification warming effects on the metabolic physiology of juvenile Northern spot shrimp (Pandalus platyceros) oƗ Washburn, M., Bacus, S., Kelley, A. L. Characterizing the impacts of ocean acidification and food availability on the growth and development of juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)
* Undergraduate student as lead author Ɨ Graduate student as lead author