Date of Award
Fall 2025
Rights
© 2025 Colby Peters
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Marine Sciences
Department
Marine Science
First Advisor
Gwangseok R. Yoon
Second Advisor
Zachary Olson
Third Advisor
Markus Frederich
Abstract
Marine heat waves have become more frequent and intense over recent decades while atmospheric temperatures are expected to exceed 1.5ºC by the end of century. This can pose significant challenges to the coastal aquatic ecosystem, particularly tidepools, as tidepool organisms may already live near their thermal tolerance due to the small water volume and limited mixing at low tide. This is notably relevant to the Gulf of Maine, where sea surface temperatures are warming three times faster than the global average due to its enclosed bathymetry with limited water exchange, the northward shift of the Gulf Stream, and weakening of the Labrador Current. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that thermal stress would compromise the metabolism and locomotory performance of the intertidal shrimp, Palaemon elegans. Shrimp were sourced from Biddeford Pool (Southern Maine), and were exposed to 20, 25, and 30ºC for two weeks. We measured whole-animal metabolic rate (maximum, average), enzyme activity (citrate synthase, lactate dehydrogenase), locomotion (acceleration, speed, distance moved, nearest-neighbor distance), and growth (whole-body protein, triglycerides, body mass, total length) to understand how changes in locomotion could be linked to physiological parameters. Statistical significance was examined with a Bayesian criterion (PD ≥ 97.5%, analogous to = 0.05). Our study demonstrated that metabolic rate and enzyme activity increased with temperature between 20 and 25ºC, but did not change between 25 and 30ºC. Locomotion did not change across all temperatures. In addition, assessments of growth did not show any changes, indicating no energetic depletion through the temperature exposure. These results showed that an increase in metabolic rate did not translate into enhanced locomotion. This discrepancy may indicate a metabolic trade-off under thermal stress, potentially due to neuromuscular constraints. Our study has important implications for understanding metabolic tradeoffs in acclimation to increasing temperatures with ongoing climate change.
Preferred Citation
Peters, Colby, "Effects Of Temperature On Energy Metabolism And Locomotory Behavior In The European Rock Shrimp (Palaemon Elegans)" (2025). All Theses And Dissertations. 450.
https://dune.une.edu/theses/450
Comments
Master's thesis