Introductory seminar: “It’s getting hot in here: physiological mechanisms that determine thermal performance and limit upper thermal tolerance in fish”

Focus for Leon’s PhD-project is to understand which physiological mechanisms may limit thermal tolerance in fish as well as how performance traits are impacted by temperature, see below.
Leon’s main supervisor is Fredrik Jutfelt  with Zara-Louise Cowan as co-supervisor (both BioEnv), and examiner is Johan Höjesjö.

Brief summary
Climate change represents one of the most severe global threats of our time. Models predict a rise in average global temperature and an increase in frequency, duration and intensity of extreme weather events like summer heat waves. This will particularly impact ectotherms, whose body temperature is controlled by the environment, and thus all their biological processes. For species that cannot evade temperature extremes, selective pressure will intensify. An increasing tolerance of extreme thermal events and a high performance at warmer temperatures will play a crucial role in determining species survival. A profound understanding of underlying physiological mechanisms and limitations is needed to comprehend and predict climate change impacts and to gain insights that may help conservation efforts.

In my seminar, I want to talk about what physiological mechanisms may limit thermal tolerance in fish as well as how performance traits are impacted by temperature. Where are the knowledge gaps and where does my thesis fit into this field filled with unanswered questions?! Find out November 7th!