19.12.2012 Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz-Center for Polar and Marine Research

Death in the egg: as embryos, shore crabs have nothing to protect themselves against climate change

Up to now the shore crab has belonged to those animal species thought by scientists to be more or less immune to climate change. One reason for this was that the crabs are highly tolerant to extremes temperature and feel just as at home in the eight degrees offered by the Atlantic as they do in the 20 degrees warm Mediterranean. A study conducted by German and Italian scientists has now shown, however, that shore crabs react most sensitively to temperature anomalies at certain times of life – as embryos in the egg.

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