Personal Research Website

I combine field, laboratory, and modeling studies in order to predict species distributions in the rocky intertidal. In particular, I focus on physical mechanisms so that I can forecast the consequences of future climate change.

Selected Research Projects:

Patterns of High Temperature Risk: The timing of the tide determines when intertidal organisms are exposed to terrestrial weather conditions during midday that can lead to harmful body temperatures. I use spatially continuous tidal predictions and solar elevations to determine the probability of high temperature events for intertidal ecosystems. By connecting risk with weather conditions, it is possible to make predictions of where and when to look for impacts of climate change in the future.

Hindcasts of Mussel Mortality: I am investigating the importance of temperature in setting patterns of Mytilus californianus zonation by using a technique that combines field surveys, physiological studies, and a theoretical model of mussel body temperature. Surveys of M. californianus upper limits were conducted at 15 sites ranging from Washington to Southern California. By utilizing this information in the theoretical model, I can determine locations where upper limits of M. californianus are likely limited by body temperature.

Long-term Observations of Rocky Intertidal Communities: Long-term observational data are essential for determining the effects of environmental change in the rocky intertidal. I am working with Dr. Bill Ballantine, a retired professor from the University of Auckland, to determine if changes in the population of the limpet, Cellana radians, during the last 20 years in the Leigh Marine Reserve are associated with weather and tidal patterns.

Publications: **(I publish as K. A. S. Mislan)

Mislan, K.A.S., D.S. Wethey, and B. Helmuth. In press. When to worry about the weather: Role of tidal cycle in determining patterns of risk in intertidal systems. Global Change Biology.

Broitman, B.R., P.L. Szathmary, K.A.S. Mislan, C.A. Blanchette, and B. Helmuth. 2009. Predator-prey interactions under climate change: the importance of habitat vs body temperature. Oikos. 118: 219-224.

Mislan, K.A.S. and B. Helmuth. 2008. Microclimate. In Sven Erik Jørgensen and Brian D. Fath (Editor-in-Chief), General Ecology. Vol. 3 of Encyclopedia of Ecology, Elsevier, Oxford. pp. 2389-2393.

Mislan, K.A.S. and R. Babcock. 2008. Survival and behaviour of juvenile red rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii, on rocky reefs with varying predation pressure and habitat complexity. Marine and Freshwater Research. 59: 246-253.