The ecological and evolutionary consequences of tropicalisation

Abstract

Tropicalisation is a global marine phenomenon driven by contemporary climate change, characterised by the poleward expansion of tropical and subtropical species and the trailing-edge retractions of temperate taxa. Although increasingly documented in subtidal ecosystems, the ecological and evolutionary consequences of tropicalisation in rocky intertidal communities remain poorly resolved.
This Thesis begins with a global synthesis of tropicalisation research, identifying conceptual ambiguities, regional biases, and critical gaps in current understanding. In particular, it highlights the need to integrate ecological, evolutionary, and molecular approaches to clarify how climate-driven range shifts cascade across species, populations, and communities.

Building on these insights, this Thesis investigates how tropicalisation is reshaping species distributions and population genetic structure of rocky shore gastropods along the Baja California Peninsula. Overall, the findings demonstrate that tropicalisation is a multifaceted and ongoing process that drives both ecological and genetic change in intertidal systems. This Thesis further proposes an integrated framework for monitoring tropicalisation by combining eDNA data, oceanographic modelling, and traditional field surveys. By linking historical, contemporary, and methodological perspectives, it offers new insight into the mechanisms and consequences of climate-driven range shifts and provides a foundation for future monitoring and management of marine biodiversity under global change.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Phillip Fenberg: orcid.org/0000-0003-4474-176X

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