Canonizado, Shawn Nigel2022-07-052022-07-052022-05http://hdl.handle.net/1773/48634With current projections of worsening climate conditions, it is important to determine how nearshore kelps (Order Laminariales) will be affected. It has been documented that increased ocean temperature leads to kelp deforestation, thus leading to rapid and widespread changes at the ecosystem level. This study aims to understand the effects of climate change on kelp growth. Specifically, it investigates how temperature and salinity affect meristem growth. I used an experimental approach to analyze the impacts of temperature and salinity on Alaria marginata, a species of kelp, over a duration of 5 days. A. marginata thalli were acclimated to outdoor seawater tanks, then transported to 4 testing tanks, each with a unique combination of high salinity (33 ppt) & ambient salinity (32 ppt), and high temperature (15.8° C) & ambient temperature (13.4° C). Growth was measured via meristem growth and percentage change of the blade’s length. I hypothesized that increased salinity and increased temperature would result in less growth and that an interaction effect would occur between the two independent factors. Data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA test. There was a significant effect of temperature on meristem growth and blade growth, but no significant effect of salinity on growth, though there was a significant interaction effect between salinity and temperature. These results suggest that temperature is the key factor that results in kelp growth and practices that alter water temperatures should serve as the basis for kelp remediation. Other abiotic factors such as salinity are less of a focus as they do not significantly alter kelp growth.Climate changeOchrophytakelpmeristem growththermal tolerance