Investigator: Shirley Baker, University of Florida (UF)/IFAS SFFGS Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program
Objectives: This project aims to delve into the adaptive mechanisms of clams when exposed to acute thermal stress. The behavioral and physiological responses of hard clams to thermal stress will be investigated. A series of short-term experiments simulating field thermal stress will be conducted. By incrementally raising water temperatures and monitoring through respirometry, physiological reactions will be measured. From these observations, metabolic peak temperatures, critical thermal maxima, and thresholds for mortality will be established. The capacity for recovery from non-thermal stress will also be evaluated.
