Global thermal tolerance compilation for freshwater invertebrates and fish

Abstract

Scientists have investigated the thermal tolerance of organisms for centuries, yet the field has not lost relevance as the environmental threats of thermal pollution and global change sharpen the need to understand the thermal vulnerability of organisms in landscapes increasingly subjected to multiple stressors. Freshwater fish and invertebrates are greatly underrepresented in recent large-scale compilations of thermal tolerance, despite the importance of freshwaters as a crucial resource and as havens for biodiversity. Therefore we compiled ThermoFresh, a thermal tolerance database for these organisms that includes literature from 1900 until the present, sourced from five languages to counteract geographic bias. The database contains over 6800 records for over 900 species, including 470 invertebrates, as well as 505 thermal tolerance tests conducted with additional stressors present. We provide a valuable resource to test hypotheses on thermal risks to freshwater organisms in present and future environments subject to multiple stressors.