How Will Creatures That Can Barely Move Handle Climate Change? – Hakai Magazine

Ochre Sea Star (by wild trees CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 via Flickr).

As the world warms, animals living near the coast are being battered by stronger storms, rising seas, and extreme temperatures. While fish, birds, and other species might be able to escape—often toward the poles—many marine creatures can barely move, let alone speed out of the way.

Scientists have long known that on hot days more mobile shoreline creatures like crabs take steps to control their body temperature by scuttling into cool crevices…