Conclusions
The combination of warming temperatures, extreme events and species
redistributions has the potential to fundamentally change marine
ecosystems in the Anthropocene. Identifying general principles,
developing models and testing predictions about how these impacts will
unfold across species distributions is critical to anticipate and
adaptively manage ecosystems over coming decades. Here we demonstrate
that cool, central and warm-edge populations of seagrass differ in their
response to temperature, however these responses are not necessarily
linear or conform to a-priori expectations. Moreover, the highly
selective effects of warm-affiliated herbivores on cool-edge
populations, highlight how species redistributions and species
interactions can have unexpected and consequential effects on ecological
performance under climate change. Our findings make a strong case for
ongoing empirical comparisons of thermal performance for functionally
important species and highlight the complexity of inferring thermal
sensitivity from a single location. In doing so these findings provide
hope for greater resilience to warming in Mediterranean seagrasses than
previously recognised.