Anthropogenic activities have drastically changed environmental conditions worldwide, negatively impacting biodiversity and ecosystem services. At the same time, the majority of the human population lives in urban areas that are greatly altered from natural habitats. Nevertheless, many species thrive in these urban environments. To improve our knowledge of evolution and adaptation in these anthropogenically impacted habitats, we conducted the widest series of stress experiments to date with three marine taxa: one mussel and two gammarid species. We compared intraspecific populations from protected and human-altered habitats to determine their tolerance to salinity, temperature and partial pressure of CO2 in water (pCO2) regimes. Populations from impacted habitats typically outperformed protected habitat populations, with individuals from the most impacted habitat being the most robust. We propose that urban populations are adapting to life in disturbed environments-this adaptation concurrently promotes more resilient rescue populations but potentially confers increased invasion risk from non-native species.

Berlin Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research Berlin Germany

Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg Oldenburg Germany

Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Gulf University for Science and Technology Hawally Kuwait

Christian Albrechts Universität Zu Kiel Christian Albrechts Platz 4 Kiel Germany

Department of Biological Sciences Lehigh University Bethlehem Pennsylvania USA

Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice České Budějovice Czech Republic

Faculty of Science and Technology Biology Department University of Crete Marine Ecology Lab Crete Greece

GEOMAR Helmholtz Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel Kiel Germany

Institute for Global Food Security School of Biological Sciences Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK

Institute of Biology Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany

Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin Germany

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Alberti, M. , Correa C., Marzluff J. M., et al. 2017. “Global Urban Signatures of Phenotypic Change in Animal and Plant Populations.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, no. 34: 8951–8956. PubMed PMC

Alpert, S. , Mielke E., Burkhard B., and Ismar S.. 2015. “Neue Kartierung der Unterwasserhabitate im Naturschutzgebiet Schleimündung.” Seevögel 36, no. 2: 10–14.

Alter, E. S. , Tariq L., Creed J. K., and Megafu E.. 2020. “Evolutionary Responses of Marine Organisms to Urbanized Seascapes.” Evolutionary Applications 14, no. 1: 210–232. PubMed PMC

Ålund, M. , Cenzer M., Bierne N., et al. 2024. “Anthropogenic Change and the Process of Speciation.” Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology 15, no. 12: a041455. 10.1101/cshperspect.a041455. PubMed DOI PMC

Aronson, M. F. J. , La Sorte F. A., Nilson C. H., et al. 2014. “A Global Analysis of the Impacts of Urbanization on Bird and Plant Diversity Reveals Key Anthropogenic Drivers.” Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences 281: 20133330. PubMed PMC

Borden, J. B. , and Flory L.. 2021. “Urban Evolution of Invasive Species.” Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 19, no. 3: 184–191.

Briski, E. , Bailey S. A., Casas‐Monroy O., et al. 2013. “Taxon‐ and Vector‐Specific Variation in Species Richness and Abundance During the Transport Stage of Biological Invasions.” Limnology and Oceanography 58, no. 4: 1361–1372.

Briski, E. , Chan F., MacIsaac H. J., and Bailey S. A.. 2014. “A Conceptual Model of Community Dynamics During the Transport Stage of the Invasion Process: A Case Study of Ships' Ballast.” Diversity and Distributions 20: 236–244.

Briski, E. , Chan F. T., Darling J. A., et al. 2018. “Beyond Propagule Pressure: Importance of Selection During the Transport Stage of Biological Invasions.” Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 16, no. 6: 345–353. PubMed PMC

Briski, E. , Ghabooli S., Bailey S. A., and Macisaac H. J.. 2011. “Assessing Invasion Risk Across Taxa and Habitats: Life Stage as a Determinant of Invasion Success.” Diversity and Distributions 17: 593–602.

Briski, E. , Kotronaki S. G., Cuthbert N. R., et al. 2024. “Does Non‐native Diversity Mirror Earth's Biodiversity?” Global Ecology and Biogeography 33: 48–62.

Briski, E. , Van Stappen G., Bossier P., and Sorgeloos P.. 2008. “Laboratory Production of Early Hatching Artemia Sp. Cysts by Selection.” Aquaculture 282: 19–25.

Bruno, J. F. , Carr L. A., and O'Connor M. I.. 2015. “Exploring the Role of Temperature in the Ocean Through Metabolic Scaling.” Ecology 96: 3126–3140. PubMed

Buczkowski, G. 2010. “Extreme Life History Plasticity and the Evolution of Invasive Characteristics in a Native Ant.” Biological Invasions 12: 3343–3349.

Cadotte, M. W. , Yasui S. L. E., Livingstone S., and MacIvor J. S.. 2017. “Are Urban Systems Beneficial, Detrimental, or Indifferent for Biological Invasion?” Biological Invasions 19: 3489–3503.

Caizergues, A. E. , Grégoire A., and Charmantier A.. 2018. “Urban Versus Forest Ecotypes Are Not Explained by Divergent Reproductive Selection.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285: 20180261. PubMed PMC

Casties, I. , Seebens H., and Briski E.. 2016. “Importance of Geographic Origin for Invasion Success: A Case Study of the North and Baltic Seas Versus the Great Lakes‐St Lawrence River Region.” Ecology and Evolution 6: 8318–8329. PubMed PMC

Chen, B. , Cai W.‐J., Brodeur J. R., et al. 2020. “Seasonal and Spatial Variability in Surface pCO2 and Air–Water CO2 Flux in the Chesapeake Bay.” Limnology and Oceanography 65: 3046–3065.

Cuthbert, R. , Kotronaki S. G., Dick J. T. A., and Briski E.. 2020. “Salinity Tolerance and Geographic Origin Mediate Global Alien Amphipod Invasions.” Biology Letters 16: 20200354. PubMed PMC

Dinauer, A. , and Mucci A.. 2017. “Spatial Variability in Surface‐Water pCO2 and Gas Exchange in the World's Largest Semi‐Enclosed Estuarine System: St. Lawrence Estuary (Canada).” Biogeosciences 14: 3221–3237.

Dlugosch, K. M. , Anderson S. R., Braasch J., Cang F. A., and Gillette H. D.. 2015. “The Devil Is in the Details: Genetic Variation in Introduced Populations and Its Contributions to Invasion.” Molecular Ecology 24: 2095–2111. PubMed

Dobbs, C. , Nitschke C., and Kendal D.. 2017. “Assessing the Drivers Shaping Global Patterns of Urban Vegetation Landscape Structure.” Science of the Total Environment 592: 171–177. PubMed

Evens, D. H. 2008. Osmotic and Ionic Regulation. Cells and Animals, 616. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Fitzpatrick, S. W. , Mittan‐Moreau C., Miller M., and Judson J. M.. 2023. “Genetic Rescue Remains Underused for Aiding Recovery of Federally Listed Vertebrates in the United States.” Journal of Heredity 114, no. 4: 354–366. PubMed PMC

Gaitán‐Espitia, J. D. , Quintero‐Galvis J. F., Mesas A., and D'Elía G.. 2016. “Mitogenomics of Southern Hemisphere Blue Mussels (Bivalvia: Pteriomorphia): Insights Into the Evolutionary Characteristics of the Mytilus edulis Complex.” Scientific Reports 6: 26853. PubMed PMC

Gerhardt, A. , Bloor M., and Mills C. L.. 2011. “ Gammarus: Important Taxon in Freshwater and Marine Changing Environments.” International Journal of Zoology 2011: 2–4.

Gillooly, J. F. , Brown J. H., West G. B., Savage V. M., and Charnov E. L.. 2001. “Effects of Size and Temperature on Metabolic Rate.” Science 293: 2248–2251. PubMed

Giraudeau, M. , Nolan P. M., Black C. E., Earl S. R., Hasegawa M., and McGraw K. J.. 2014. “Song Characteristics Track Bill Morphology Along a Gradient of Urbanization in House Finches ( Haemorhous mexicanus ).” Frontiers in Zoology 11: 83. PubMed PMC

Grimm, N. B. , Faeth S. H., Golubiewski N. E., et al. 2008. “Global Change and the Ecology of Cities.” Science 319: 756–760. PubMed

Hartig, F. 2020. “DHARMa: Residual Diagnostics for Hierarchical (Multi‐Level/Mixed) Regression Models.” R Package Version 0, no. 3: 3.

Haubrock, P. J. , Balzani P., Matsuzaki S. I. S., Tarkan A. S., Kourantidou M., and Haase P.. 2021. “Spatio‐Temporal Niche Plasticity of a Freshwater Invader as a Harbinger of Impact Variability.” Science of the Total Environment 777: 145947. PubMed

Hufbauer, R. A. , Facon B., Ravigné V., et al. 2012. “Anthropogenically Induced Adaptation to Invade (AIAI): Contemporary Adaptation to Human‐Altered Habitats Within the Native Range Can Promote Invasions.” Evolutionary Applications 5, no. 1: 89–101. PubMed PMC

Hawkins, S. J. 2012. “Marine Conservation in a Rapidly Changing World.” Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 22: 281–287.

Hinson, K. E. , Friedrichs M. A. M., St‐Laurent P., Da F., and Najjar R. G.. 2022. “Extent and Causes of Chesapeake Bay Warming.” Journal of the American Water Recources Association 58, no. 6: 805–825.

Verein Jordsand zum Schutze der Seevögel und der Natur e.V . 2019. https://www.jordsand.de.

Hulme, P. E. 2009. “Trade, Transport and Trouble: Managing Invasive Species Pathways in an Era of Globalization.” Journal of Applied Ecology 46: 10–18.

IPCC . 2014. “Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report.” Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by Core Writing Team , Pachauri R. K., and Meyer L. A., 151. Geneva, Switzerland: IPCC.

Johnson, M. T. J. , and Munshi‐South J.. 2017. “Evolution of Life in Urban Environments.” Science 358: eaam8327. PubMed

Kaluza, P. , Kölzsch A., Gastner M. T., and Blasius B.. 2010. “The Complex Network of Global Cargo Ship Movement.” Journal of the Royal Society Interface 7: 1093–1103. PubMed PMC

Kazanavičiūtė, E. , Dickey J. W. E., Soto I., et al. 2024. “Seasonal Changes in Biodiversity of Native and Non‐Native Amphipod Taxa Under Diverse Environmental Contexts.” Marine Biology 171: 156.

Kinnison, M. T. , and Hendry A. P.. 2001. “The Pace of Modern Life II: From Rates of Contemporary Microevolution to Pattern and Process.” Genetica 112‐113: 145–164. PubMed

Knapp, S. , Dinsmore L., Fissore L., et al. 2012. “Phylogenetic and Functional Characteristics of Household Yard Floras and Their Changes Along an Urbanization Gradient.” Ecology 93, no. 8: S83–S98.

Knöbel, L. , Nascimento‐Schulze J. C., Sanders T., et al. 2021. “Salinity Driven Selection and Local Adaptation in Baltic Sea Mytilid Mussels.” Frontiers in Marine Science 8: 692078.

Köhn, J. , and Gosselck F.. 1989. “Bestimmungsschlüssel der Malakostraken der Ostsee.” Mitteilungen Aus Dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Zoologische Reihe 65, no. 1: 3–114.

Kosmidis, I. 2020. “brglm2: Bias Reduction in Generalized Linear Models.” R Package Version 2: 635.

Lahr, E. C. , Dunn R. R., and Frank S. D.. 2018. “Getting Ahead of the Curve: Cities as Surrogates for Global Change.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285: 20180643. PubMed PMC

Lenth, R. 2020. “Emmeans: Estimated Marginal Means, Aka Least‐Squares Means (R Package Version 1.4. 8)[computer Software Manual]”.

Linders, T. E. W. , Schaffner U., Eschen R., et al. 2019. “Direct and Indirect Effects of Invasive Species: Biodiversity Loss Is a Major Mechanism by Which an Invasive Tree Affects Ecosystem Functioning.” Journal of Ecology 107: 2660–2672.

LLUR (Landesamt für Natur und Umwelt des Landes Schleswig‐Holstein) . 2001. Organozinnverbindungen in Hafensedimenten und biologische Effekte. Untersuchungen in Sedimenten und an der Strandschnecke ( Littorina littorea L.) in schleswig‐holsteinischen Küstengewässern. Flintbek: Landesamt für Natur und Umwelt (Landesamt für Natur und Umwelt des Landes Schleswig‐Holstein: D, 20). https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://umweltanwendungen.schleswig‐holstein.de/Bestellsysteme/pdf/jahrbe01/Organozinnverbindungen.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiPwb7BrfyJAxWCQvEDHbsKPDsQFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3rg‐uAZ9zdLkgsZpzQ0xbY.

Lockwood, J. L. , Hoopes M. F., and Marchetti M. P.. 2013. Invasion Ecology, 444. Oxford, UK: Wiley‐Blackwell A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication.

Lohrenz, S. E. , Caib W.‐J., Chakrabortyc S., et al. 2018. “Satellite Estimation of Coastal pCO2 and Air‐Sea Flux of Carbon Dioxide in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.” Remote Sensing of Environment 207: 71–83.

Martin, R. A. , Chick L. D., Yilmaz A. R., and Diamond S. E.. 2019. “Evolution, Not Transgenerational Plasticity, Explains the Divergence of Acorn Ant Thermal Tolerance Across an Urban–Rural Temperature Cline.” Evolutionary Applications 12: 1678–1687. PubMed PMC

McKinney, M. L. 2002. “Urbanization, Biodiversity and Conservation.” Bioscience 52: 883–890.

McKinney, M. L. 2008. “Effects of Urbanization on Species Richness: A Review of Plants and Animals.” Urban Ecosystems 11: 161–176.

Meier, H. E. M. , Dieterich C., Gröger M., et al. 2022. “Oceanographic Regional Climate Projections for the Baltic Sea Until 2100.” Earth System Dynamics 13: 159–199.

Morón Lugo, S. C. , Baumeister M., Nour O. M., Wolf F., Stumpp M., and Pansch C.. 2020. “Warming and Temperature Variability Determine the Performance of Two Invertebrate Predators.” Scientific Reports 10: 6780. PubMed PMC

Nikulina, A. , Polovodova I., and Schönfeld J.. 2008. “Foraminiferal Response to Environmental Changes in Kiel Fjord, SW Baltic Sea.” eEarth 3, no. 1: 37–49.

Olden, J. D. , Poff N. L., Douglas M. R., Douglas M. E., and Fausch K. D.. 2004. “Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Biotic Homogenization.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution 19: 18–24. PubMed

Pansch, C. , Scotti M., Barboza F., et al. 2018. “Heat Waves and Their Significance for a Temperate Benthic Community: A Near‐Natural Experimental Approach.” Global Change Biology 24: 4357–4367. PubMed

Perry, G. , and Gottert T.. 2024. “The City as an Evolutionary Hothouse—The Search for Rapid Evolution in Urban Settings.” Diversity 16, no. 6: 308.

Pörtner, H.‐O. 2010. “Oxygen‐ and Capacity‐Limitation of Thermal Tolerance: A Matrix for Integrating Climate‐Related Stressor Effects in Marine Ecosystems.” Journal of Experimental Biology 213: 881–893. PubMed

Pyšek, P. , Hulme P. E., Simberloff D., et al. 2020. “Scientists' Warning on Invasive Alien Species.” Biological Reviews 95, no. 6: 1511–1534. PubMed PMC

R Core Development Team . 2022. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria. https://www.R‐project.org/.

Rivera‐Ingraham, G. A. , and Lignot J.‐H.. 2017. “Osmoregulation, Bioenergetics and Oxidative Stress in Coastal Marine Invertebrates: Raising the Questions for Future Research.” Journal of Experimental Biology 220: 1749–1760. PubMed

Ruppert, E. E. , Fox R. S., and Barnes R. D.. 2004. Invertebrate Zoology: A Functional Evolutionary Approach. 7th ed, 963. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning Inc.

Santangelo, J. S. , Rivkin L. R., and Johnson M. T.. 2018. “The Evolution of City Life.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285: 20181529. PubMed PMC

Sardain, A. , Sardain E., and Leung B.. 2019. “Global Forecasts of Shipping Traffic and Biological Invasions to 2050.” Nature Sustainability 2: 274–282.

Sol, D. , Bartomeus I., González‐Lagos C., and Pavoine S.. 2017. “Urbanisation and the Loss of Phylogenetic Diversity in Birds.” Ecology Letters 20: 721–729. PubMed

Springer, S. A. , and Crespi B. J.. 2007. “Adaptive Gamete‐Recognition Divergence in a Hybridizing Mytilus Population.” Evolution 61, no. 4: 772–783. PubMed

Tallmon, D. A. , Luikart G., and Waples R. S.. 2004. “The Alluring Simplicity and Complex Reality of Genetic Rescue.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution 19: 489–496. PubMed

Thompson, K. A. , Rieseberg L. H., and Schluter D.. 2018. “Speciation and the City.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution 33: 815–826. PubMed

Thomsen, J. , Casties I., Pansch C., Körtzinger A., and Melzner F.. 2012. “Food Availability Outweighs Ocean Acidification Effects in Juvenile Mytilus edulis : Laboratory and Field Experiments.” Global Change Biology 19, no. 4: 1017–1027. PubMed

Todgham, A. E. , Schulte P. M., and Iwama G. K.. 2005. “Cross‐Tolerance in the Tidepool Sculpin: The Role of Heat Shock Proteins.” Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 78, no. 2: 133–144. PubMed

United Nations Statistics Division . 2017. Population Density and Urbanization. New York, NY: United Nations. https://unstats.un.org/UNSD/Demographic/sconcerns/densurb/densurbmethods.htm.

van Kleunen, M. , Essl F., Pergl J., et al. 2018. “The Changing Role of Ornamental Horticulture in Alien Plant Invasions.” Biological Reviews 93: 1421–1437. PubMed

Westneat, D. F. , Potts L. J., Sasser K. L., and Shaffer J. D.. 2019. “Causes and Consequences of Phenotypic Plasticity in Complex Environments.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution 34: 555–568. PubMed

Whiteley, A. R. , Fitzpatrick S. W., Funk W. C., and Tallmon D. A.. 2015. “Genetic Rescue to the Rescue.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution 30: 42–49. PubMed

Winchell, K. M. , Reynolds R. G., Prado‐Irwin S. R., Puente‐Rolon A. R., and Revell L. J.. 2016. “Phenotypic Shifts in Urban Areas in the Tropical Lizard Anolis cristatellus .” Evolution 70: 1009–1022. PubMed

Zettler, M. L. , and Zettler A.. 2017. “Marine and Freshwater Amphipoda From the Baltic Sea and Adjacent Territories. Harxheim, Germany: ConchBooks (Die Tierwelt Deutschlands und der angrenzenden Meeresteile, 83. Teil)”.