Coastal versus estuarine nursery grounds: Effect of differential temperature and heat waves on juvenile seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax

This study investigates the biological responses of juvenile fish (Dicentrarchus labrax), that live in both coastal and estuarine nurseries, to differential temperatures and summer heat wave events. More specifically, we compared mortality, growth, condition, metabolic response and thermal sensitivity of 0-group juveniles of D. labrax at temperatures that reflect the average summer temperature that they encounter in coastal and estuarine nurseries, and also the temperatures that they endure inside estuaries during heat wave events. The low mortality and peak growth and condition values registered at 24 °C suggest that estuarine average summer temperatures are more beneficial for the juveniles than coastal ones. The estuarine water temperature attained during heat waves resulted in higher mortality, arrested growth, lower condition and a steep increase in metabolism, indicating that this species is probably under thermal stress at 28 °C. Consequently, future predictions of frequent and prolonged heat waves in Southern Europe are expected to induce negative impacts in the biology and metabolic ecology of 0-group seabass juveniles in estuarine nurseries.

► Low mortality and peak growth and condition at 24 °C. ► Estuarine summer temperatures are more beneficial for juveniles than coastal ones. ► Heat waves result in higher mortality and metabolism, lower growth and condition. ► Climate change is expected to have a negative impact in estuarine nurseries.