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Abstract
Within the Mid-Atlantic Bight, there are interesting latitudinal patterns of physiological change. Physiological variation in oxygen consumption for Geukensia demissa has been identified between the northernmost and southernmost locations in this range, where Erlenbach & Wares (2023) reveal Massachusetts displayed a higher oxygen consumption than Georgia. However, this fails to assess any pattern or transition between these geographic limits. Using oxygen consumption data, we seek to contribute to the evidence of physiological variation through a more fine-scale evaluation of this latitudinal gradient and hypothesize that this physiological pattern will vary spatially. We collected oxygen consumption data from 158 G. demissa individuals across 8 sample sites, calculated VO2, and analyzed those against latitude, sea surface temperature, and genetic background, as well as possible interactions. Evaluating this data at a higher spatial resolution is meaningful to enhance our understanding of latitudinal variation in environmental response, in a marsh-essential marine organism.