Susan Williams, Ph.D.

The Williams Lab

cjsorte@ucdavis.edu

I am addressing the interaction between climate change and another global threat to biodiversity: the introduction of non-native species. First, I am conducting a literature review and meta-analysis to compare native species range shifts and non-native species invasions in an attempt to understand the community impacts of climate-driven range expansions. Second, I am using experimentation and field observations to test the hypothesis that climate change will lead to an increase in the abundance of non-natives relative to native species. Non-natives may be at an advantage over native species as temperatures increase due to their relatively broad environmental tolerances and superior colonization abilities. In addition, higher temperatures may increase the vulnerability of native communities to invasion by non-indigenous species. Most of my Ph.D. work has been focused on the sessile, epibenthic species of sea squirts and bryozoans in the local 'fouling' community. Non-native species have been increasing in abundance in the Bodega Harbor fouling community, and global warming may be partly responsible for this compositional shift.

PUBLICATIONS

Harley, C.D.G., A.R. Hughes, K. Hultgren, B.G. Miner, C.J.B. Sorte, C.S. Thornber, L.F. Rodriguez, L. Tomanek, and S.L. Williams. (2006) The impacts of climate change in coastal marine systems. Ecol Lett, 9:228-241.

Sorte, C.J.B., and G.E. Hofmann. (2005) Thermotolerance and heat-shock protein expression in Northeastern Pacific Nucella species with different biogeographical ranges. Mar Biol, 146:985-993.

Sorte, C.J.B., and G.E. Hofmann. (2004) Changes in latitudes, changes in aptitudes: Nucella canaliculata (Mollusca: Gastropoda) is more stressed at its range edge. Mar Ecol Progr Ser, 274:263-268.

Sorte, C.J.B. (2003) The ecophysiological underpinnings of biogeographic patterns: temperature effects on the distributions of Nucella congeners. M.A. Thesis, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Halpin, P.M., C.J. Sorte, G.E. Hofmann, and B.A. Menge. (2002) Patterns of variation in levels of Hsp70 in natural rocky shore populations from microscales to mesoscales. Integr Compar Biol, 42:815-824.

Sorte, C.J., W.T. Peterson, C.A. Morgan, and R.L. Emmett. (2001) Larval dynamics of the sand crab, Emerita analoga, off the central Oregon coast during a strong El Niño period. J Plankton Res, 23:939-944.

The Williams Lab