Climate change is altering ecosystems worldwide through rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events, including heatwaves. Gastropods in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial environments are affected through changes in habitat characteristics, geographic distribution, abundance, physiology, and behavior. In freshwater systems, warming and drought can reduce dissolved oxygen and shrink suitable habitats. In marine environments, ocean acidification can impair shell formation and, under severe conditions, dissolve calcium-carbonate shells. In terrestrial habitats, increasing temperature and declining soil moisture can force snails into prolonged inactivity and increase desiccation risk. Effective climate information, predictive models, and early-warning systems are therefore essential for climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and disease-risk management. Further comparative research is needed to clarify how phylogenetic history and adaptive variation influence heat tolerance and resilience among gastropod taxa.
Ismail N., Abuel-Enin H., Ibrahim A. & Mansour S., 2026. Climatic factors effects on gastropods (Phylum: Mollusca): a review of the biodiversity of freshwater, marine, and terrestrial snails. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries 30(4), 3795-3816. doi: 10.21608/ejabf.2026.509208.8289. Article.
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