Fig. 4: Relationships between the mean or variability of time-varying species sensitivity to each global change driver and biological traits.

We used a wide range of traits describing species morphology, physiology, and behavior, including body size, lifespan, mobility, movement method, reproductive frequency, and structural robustness. Trait values were standardized to have a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1 within each trait. Higher trait values represent greater expression of the trait. Blue and orange solid lines and shaded areas in each panel show significant (P < 0.05) fits and 95% confidence intervals of linear mixed-effect models for mean and variability of time-varying sensitivity, respectively. Dashed lines represent non-significant regression lines. Statistical significance was evaluated using two-sided linear mixed-effects models or linear models. Basically, data of time-varying sensitivity for 24 common species to each driver over the observation period across 14 estuarine sites (11 sites for species sensitivity to sediment chlorophyll a and organic matter content, and 9 sites for species sensitivity to sediment mud content) were included in the analyses. Data points are not shown for visual clarity. See Supplementary Table 6 for details of the model fit summary. SOI southern oscillation index, SST sea surface temperature, SS suspended solids, Chl-a chlorophyll a content, OM organic matter content, mud mud content.