| Popis: |
According to climate change scenarios the incidence of extreme events, such as flooding, is expected to increase worldwide. In the current climate change context, understanding behavioural responses of marine species to such stressors is essential, especially for species of high ecological and economic interest such as bivalves, which can be quite useful for future management and conservation actions. In this study, a laboratory experiment using different salinity conditions was undertaken to assess potential behavioural responses of cockles (Cerastoderma edule), as a survival strategy facing low-salinity stress during riverine flood events. Results showed consistent patterns of burrowing/emergence of cockles facing salinity variation: with high salinities the individuals were observed buried in the sediment; when salinity decreased, organisms were observed to actively emerge, and when salinity was |
