http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset/990839
eng; USA
utf8
dataset
Highest level of data collection, from a common set of sensors or instrumentation, usually within the same research project
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
2025-12-30
ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data
ISO 19115-2:2009(E)
Latitudinal variation in the shell thickness and tissue mass of Littorina obtusata snails across 20 years as measured in samples collected from the Gulf of Maine from 1995-1997 and 2017-2018
2026-03-17
publication
2026-03-17
revision
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI BCO-DMO)
2026-03-18
publication
https://doi.org/10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.990839.1
Geoffrey C. Trussell
Northeastern University
principalInvestigator
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
publisher
Cite this dataset as: Trussell, G. C., Corbett, J. J. (2026) Latitudinal variation in the shell thickness and tissue mass of Littorina obtusata snails across 20 years as measured in samples collected from the Gulf of Maine from 1995-1997 and 2017-2018. Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). (Version 1) Version Date 2026-03-17 [if applicable, indicate subset used]. doi:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.990839.1 [access date]
Latitudinal variation in snail shells and tissue Dataset Description: <p>This dataset contains measurements of shell thickness, shell length, shell mass, and tissue mass for the intertidal snail <em>Littorina obtusata</em> collected from rocky shore sites throughout the Gulf of Maine. Samples were collected during two time periods (1995–1997 and 2017–2018) to assess spatial and temporal variation in morphological traits across a latitudinal gradient.</p>
<p>This dataset is part of a broader study conducted in the Gulf of Maine to investigate&nbsp;phenotypic plasticity of prey species in response to predator invasion and warming oceans:</p>
<ol>
<li>Green crab surveys plus historical crab density data (dataset 990378)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Green crab density from field studies at rocky intertidal sites from April 2019 to December 2021&nbsp;(dataset 911365)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Latitudinal (clinal) variation in&nbsp;<em>Littorina obtusata</em>&nbsp;shell thickness and tissue mass measured 20 years apart&nbsp;<strong>(this dataset)</strong></li>
<li>Field experiment outplanting&nbsp;<em>Littorina obtusata&nbsp;</em>with predators (green crabs) to examine local and regional geographic variation in inducible defenses&nbsp;conducted from April to August 2021 (dataset&nbsp;911221)</li>
<li>Morphological data from reciprocal transplant experiment in the field&nbsp;(dataset 990830)</li>
</ol> Methods and Sampling: <p>Between 1995 and 1997, our previous work (Trussell, 2000) collected samples of snails (<em>Littorina obtusata)</em> from 25 populations spanning Gulf of Maine rocky intertidal habitats. Between 2017 and 2018, we collected samples from 22 of the same populations (snails were not present at 3 of the sites sampled in 1995-1997) to examine how phenotypic clines may have changed following increased ocean temperatures and increased green crab density in the northern Gulf of Maine. For each population, snails (n = 50 per population) were haphazardly collected while attempting to maximize size range and returned to the laboratory for measurement of shell length and shell thickness with digital calipers. Mean shell thickness (hereafter, shell thickness) was calculated by taking the mean of whorl thickness and opposite whorl thickness. We then used a C-clamp to crack the shell of each snail and shell fragments were separated from soft tissue. Shell fragments and soft tissue were placed in separate aluminum trays and dried at 60°C for 48 hours in a drying oven prior to weighing. In the laboratory shell length and shell thickness were measured with digital calipers and shell and tissue mass were measured with a digital balance.</p>
Funding provided by NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) Award Number: OCE-2017626 Award URL: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award?AWD_ID=2017626
completed
Geoffrey C. Trussell
Northeastern University
781-581-7370 (ext. 300)
Marine Science Center 430 Nahant Road
Nahant
MA
01908
USA
g.trussell@northeastern.edu
pointOfContact
asNeeded
Dataset Version: 1
Unknown
Year
Site_Name
Latitude
Longitude
Shell_Length
Shell_Thickness
Tissue_Mass
Shell_Mass
digital calipers
drying oven
analytical balance
theme
None, User defined
year
site
latitude
longitude
length
shell thickness
mass
featureType
BCO-DMO Standard Parameters
calipers
Drying Oven
scale or balance
instrument
BCO-DMO Standard Instruments
otherRestrictions
otherRestrictions
Access Constraints: none. Use Constraints: Please follow guidelines at: http://www.bco-dmo.org/terms-use Distribution liability: Under no circumstances shall BCO-DMO be liable for any direct, incidental, special, consequential, indirect, or punitive damages that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the materials in this data submission. If you are dissatisfied with any materials in this data submission your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue use.
Local adaptation and the evolution of plasticity under predator invasion and warming seas: consequences for individuals, populations and communities
https://osprey.bco-dmo.org/project/816470
Local adaptation and the evolution of plasticity under predator invasion and warming seas: consequences for individuals, populations and communities
<p><em>NSF Award Abstract:</em><br />
Over the past two decades, the Gulf of Maine has experienced unprecedented warming that, among other things, has further enabled the invasive green crab to expand its range in rocky shore habitats. The adverse ecological impacts of this invasive predator have been documented worldwide. This study examines how geographic variation in the capacity of two common prey species to respond to the combination of this predator and warming ocean temperatures can shape prey feeding and performance and impact community structure and dynamics. Hence, this research enhances understanding of the evolution of phenotypes, their plasticity, and the nature of adaptation and its role in eco-evolutionary dynamics. More broadly, it informs understanding of how organisms and marine communities may respond to future environmental change. In addition, this project makes contributions to the STEM pipeline by providing middle and high school, undergraduate, and graduate students with cross-disciplinary training in evolutionary and community ecology. In collaboration with an institutional outreach program, the investigator is also developing web-based multimedia projects and teacher resource materials based on this research.</p>
<p>A central principle in ecology is that species residing in the middle of food chains must balance the benefits of eating with the risk of being eaten by their predators. Solving this foraging-predation risk trade-off often involves plasticity in prey traits with consequences for the evolution of adaptation and species interactions that drive community-level processes. Hence, the foraging-predation risk trade-off provides a powerful conceptual framework that links evolutionary and community ecology. Yet at the same time, other environmental stressors like temperature can shape this trade-off, adding complexity that makes it difficult to predict the capacity of organisms to adapt to environmental change and the consequences for communities. The investigator is conducting this study in rocky shore habitats of the Gulf of Maine (GOM) which have long been influenced by strong latitudinal temperature gradients and non-native species invasions. The overarching hypothesis is that predation risk and temperature are factors shaping geographic variation in plasticity and adaptation, with consequences for individuals, populations, and communities. First, the investigator is conducting field experiments to document geographic variation in the trait plasticity of two common prey species in the green crab's diet. Second, he is using reciprocal transplant experiments to examine trait plasticity in response to risk and water temperature, generating data to compare with similar experiments conducted in the late 90s prior to recent ocean warming and expansion in range of green crabs. Third, he is conducting a laboratory common garden experiment to evaluate the effects of risk and water temperature on trait plasticity. Finally, he is using reciprocal transplant experiments in the field to understand the interactive effects of risk and water temperature on prey foraging rates and the abundance of a species that plays an important role in intertidal community structure and dynamics.</p>
<p>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.</p>
evolution of plasticity
largerWorkCitation
project
eng; USA
biota
oceans
-70.79
-66.97
42.56
44.85
1995-01-01
2018-12-31
0
BCO-DMO catalogue of parameters from Latitudinal variation in the shell thickness and tissue mass of Littorina obtusata snails across 20 years as measured in samples collected from the Gulf of Maine from 1995-1997 and 2017-2018
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/990865.rdf
Name: Year
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Denotes the years in which the snail populations were sampled</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/990866.rdf
Name: Site_Name
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Name of the sampling site along the Gulf of Maine</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/990867.rdf
Name: Latitude
Units: decimal degrees
Description: <p>Latitude of the sampling site</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/990868.rdf
Name: Longitude
Units: decimal degrees
Description: <p>Longitude of the sampling site</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/990869.rdf
Name: Shell_Length
Units: millimeters (mm)
Description: <p>Shell length of each snail</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/990870.rdf
Name: Shell_Thickness
Units: millimeters (mm)
Description: <p>Shell thickness of each snail</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/990871.rdf
Name: Tissue_Mass
Units: milligrams (mg)
Description: <p>Tissue mass of each snail</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/990872.rdf
Name: Shell_Mass
Units: milligrams (mg)
Description: <p>Shell mass of each snail</p>
GB/NERC/BODC > British Oceanographic Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, United Kingdom
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
https://doi.org/10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.990839.1
download
onLine
dataset
<p>Between 1995 and 1997, our previous work (Trussell, 2000) collected samples of snails (<em>Littorina obtusata)</em> from 25 populations spanning Gulf of Maine rocky intertidal habitats. Between 2017 and 2018, we collected samples from 22 of the same populations (snails were not present at 3 of the sites sampled in 1995-1997) to examine how phenotypic clines may have changed following increased ocean temperatures and increased green crab density in the northern Gulf of Maine. For each population, snails (n = 50 per population) were haphazardly collected while attempting to maximize size range and returned to the laboratory for measurement of shell length and shell thickness with digital calipers. Mean shell thickness (hereafter, shell thickness) was calculated by taking the mean of whorl thickness and opposite whorl thickness. We then used a C-clamp to crack the shell of each snail and shell fragments were separated from soft tissue. Shell fragments and soft tissue were placed in separate aluminum trays and dried at 60°C for 48 hours in a drying oven prior to weighing. In the laboratory shell length and shell thickness were measured with digital calipers and shell and tissue mass were measured with a digital balance.</p>
Specified by the Principal Investigator(s)
- Imported original file named "2026.02.13.Trussell.Corbett.Updated.ShellThickness.TissueMass.Cline.xls" into the BCO-DMO system.
- Renamed fields/columns to comply with BCO-DMO naming conventions
- Exported the final file as "990839_v1_shell_thickness_tissue_mass_cline.csv"
Specified by BCO-DMO Data Managers
asNeeded
7.x-1.1
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
digital calipers
digital calipers
PI Supplied Instrument Name: digital calipers PI Supplied Instrument Description:In the laboratory shell length and shell thickness were measured with digital calipers. Instrument Name: calipers Instrument Short Name: Instrument Description: A caliper (or "pair of calipers") is a device used to measure the distance between two opposite sides of an object. Many types of calipers permit reading out a measurement on a ruled scale, a dial, or a digital display.
drying oven
drying oven
PI Supplied Instrument Name: drying oven PI Supplied Instrument Description:Shell fragments and soft tissue were placed in separate aluminum trays and dried at 60°C for 48 hours in a drying oven. Instrument Name: Drying Oven Instrument Short Name: Instrument Description: a heated chamber for drying
analytical balance
analytical balance
PI Supplied Instrument Name: analytical balance PI Supplied Instrument Description:Shell fragments and soft tissue were dried before weighing on an analytical balance. Instrument Name: scale or balance Instrument Short Name: Instrument Description: Devices that determine the mass or weight of a sample. Community Standard Description: http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/L05/current/LAB13/