New method for quantification of phenotypic plasticity reveals how plasticity changes over time in the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii

New method for quantification of phenotypic plasticity reveals how plasticity changes over time in the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecology and Evolution This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 21 May 2025 V1 Latest version Share on New method for quantification of phenotypic plasticity reveals how plasticity changes over time in the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii Authors : Lilian Hoch 0000-0002-4823-9745 [email protected] , Andrei Herdean , Stephen Woodcock , Kittikun Songsomboon , and Peter Ralph Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174781120.01711147/v1 Published Ecology and Evolution Version of record Peer review timeline 374 views 215 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share 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 Standardised 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 seven 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. Supplementary Material File (main_document_21.5.docx) Download 407.87 KB File (manuscript figures.docx) Download 180.42 KB File (supplementary figures.docx) Download 1.64 MB File (title page.docx) Download 24.29 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 21 May 2025 Peer review timeline Published Ecology and Evolution Version of Record 17 Feb 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Ecology and Evolution Keywords laboratory marine method development microbial multiple none of the above statistical theoretical theory Authors Affiliations Lilian Hoch 0000-0002-4823-9745 [email protected] University of Technology Sydney - Broadway Ultimo Campus View all articles by this author Andrei Herdean University of Technology Sydney - Broadway Ultimo Campus View all articles by this author Stephen Woodcock University of Technology Sydney - Broadway Ultimo Campus View all articles by this author Kittikun Songsomboon University of Technology Sydney - Broadway Ultimo Campus View all articles by this author Peter Ralph University of Technology Sydney - Broadway Ultimo Campus View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 374 views 215 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Lilian Hoch, Andrei Herdean, Stephen Woodcock, et al. New method for quantification of phenotypic plasticity reveals how plasticity changes over time in the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. Authorea . 21 May 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174781120.01711147/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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