Heatwaves are increasing due to climate change and have devastating effects on organisms and ecosystems. This project will reveal what determines the performance of fish during heatwaves, which is studied experimentally under ecologically relevant warming scenarios in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Salmon populations are in decline, and the increasing severity of heatwaves poses a threat to juveniles. Thus, the understanding of physiological limitations of thermal performance is essential for assessing the future of salmon populations, as high river temperatures during the summer may jeopardize their over-wintering survival, or change the age-structure of populations at maturity with cascading effects on population growth. This project answers questions on why is salmon growth reduced by high temperature, and how can genetic tendency for early or late maturation affect their vulnerability to heatwaves.

2022

2027