Resident lobsters dominate food competition with range-shifting lobsters in an ocean warming hotspot

Species redistributions are one of the most prevalent changes observed in oceans worldwide due to climate change. One major challenges is being able predict temperature-driven species interactions and outcome these for marine communities complex nature indirect effects. In ocean-warming hotspot south-east Australia, ranges many have shifted poleward. The range eastern rock lobster Sagmariasus verreauxi has extended into warming Tasmanian waters inhabited by resident southern Jasus edwardsii , which may lead increased competitive between species. Using video monitoring, we investigated how 2 compete food at current (18°C), future (21°C) heatwave (24°C) summer temperatures. Behavioural competition occurred 80% experiments, during J. won 84% showed more aggressive behaviour all This indicates that not only dominant direct than range-shifting S. but, surprisingly, also sustains dominance beyond its physiological thermal optimum under predicted ocean scenarios.