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New Method for Quantification of Phenotypic Plasticity Reveals How Plasticity Changes Over Time in the Diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii.

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Title: New Method for Quantification of Phenotypic Plasticity Reveals How Plasticity Changes Over Time in the Diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii.
Authors: Hoch, Lilian1 (AUTHOR) lilian.hoch@uts.edu.au, Herdean, Andrei1 (AUTHOR), Woodcock, Stephen2 (AUTHOR), Songsomboon, Kittikun1 (AUTHOR), Osborne, Breanna1 (AUTHOR), Ralph, Peter J.1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Ecology & Evolution (20457758). Feb2026, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p1-14. 14p.
Subject Terms: *Diatoms, *Photosynthetic rates, *Global environmental change, *Biological adaptation, Phenotypic plasticity, Thalassiosira, Computational statistics, Quantitative research
Abstract: Quantifying phenotypic plasticity, the capacity of organisms to adjust phenotypes in response to environmental changes, is essential for understanding ecological and physiological resilience under climate stress. However, existing methods often lack flexibility and precision, especially under multi‐dimensional environmental conditions. Here, we introduce a novel statistical approach, the Environmentally Standardized Plasticity Index (*ESPI), which integrates Hedges' g for effect size quantification and Euclidean distance for characterizing environmental variability. We validated this method using both simulated datasets and empirical data from the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, investigating five key phenotypic traits over 7 days under varying temperature, irradiance, and nutrient conditions. Our findings indicate distinct temporal patterns of plasticity: certain traits, such as photosynthetic efficiency (alpha) and saturation irradiance (Ek), demonstrated high initial plasticity followed by gradual acclimation, whereas others, like pigment composition, exhibited delayed phenotypic responses. This temporal dimension highlights the critical role of the growth phase in shaping plasticity responses. The proposed *ESPI method provides a robust, intuitive, and versatile framework for quantifying phenotypic plasticity, offering significant advances in predicting organismal adaptation to environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Ecology & Evolution (20457758) is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: New Method for Quantification of Phenotypic Plasticity Reveals How Plasticity Changes Over Time in the Diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Ecology+%26+Evolution+%2820457758%29%22">Ecology & Evolution (20457758)</searchLink>. Feb2026, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p1-14. 14p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diatoms%22">Diatoms</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Photosynthetic+rates%22">Photosynthetic rates</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Global+environmental+change%22">Global environmental change</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biological+adaptation%22">Biological adaptation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phenotypic+plasticity%22">Phenotypic plasticity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thalassiosira%22">Thalassiosira</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computational+statistics%22">Computational statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Quantitative+research%22">Quantitative research</searchLink>
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  Data: Quantifying phenotypic plasticity, the capacity of organisms to adjust phenotypes in response to environmental changes, is essential for understanding ecological and physiological resilience under climate stress. However, existing methods often lack flexibility and precision, especially under multi‐dimensional environmental conditions. Here, we introduce a novel statistical approach, the Environmentally Standardized Plasticity Index (*ESPI), which integrates Hedges' g for effect size quantification and Euclidean distance for characterizing environmental variability. We validated this method using both simulated datasets and empirical data from the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, investigating five key phenotypic traits over 7 days under varying temperature, irradiance, and nutrient conditions. Our findings indicate distinct temporal patterns of plasticity: certain traits, such as photosynthetic efficiency (alpha) and saturation irradiance (Ek), demonstrated high initial plasticity followed by gradual acclimation, whereas others, like pigment composition, exhibited delayed phenotypic responses. This temporal dimension highlights the critical role of the growth phase in shaping plasticity responses. The proposed *ESPI method provides a robust, intuitive, and versatile framework for quantifying phenotypic plasticity, offering significant advances in predicting organismal adaptation to environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Ecology & Evolution (20457758) is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1002/ece3.73072
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Photosynthetic rates
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      – SubjectFull: Global environmental change
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      – SubjectFull: Biological adaptation
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      – SubjectFull: Phenotypic plasticity
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      – SubjectFull: Thalassiosira
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      – TitleFull: New Method for Quantification of Phenotypic Plasticity Reveals How Plasticity Changes Over Time in the Diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii.
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              Text: Feb2026
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              Y: 2026
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