Temperature: A Surprising Genetic Driver of Marine Organisms

A Synthetic Overview of a Decade of Seascape Genetics

Seascape genetics, a recent offshoot of population genetics, can provide insight into how the movement of an organism impacts dispersal and gene flow on a scale that cannot be determined with other natural or artificial indicators. NCEAS Center Associate, Kimberly Selkoe, and her co-authors recently synthesized 100 seascape genetic studies from the past decade to document trends in taxonomic and geographic coverage, sampling and statistical design, and dominant seascape drivers. Their findings were recently featured in Marine Ecology Progress Series.

"One surprising finding was that temperature is one of the most pervasive influences on the population genetics of marine species found to date, and this implies that climatic changes in temperature will likely affect the underlying genetic architecture of marine systems in ways that have not yet been recognized or studied."

      -Kim Selkoe, NCEAS Center Associate

This in-depth analysis of existing research reveals climate change could have a much larger impact on the genetic structure of marine organisms than previously thought. Continuous advances in statistical analyses and genomic data will provide insight into how connectivity and adaptation can guide effective long-term conservation and marine management strategies.

A decade of seascape genetics: contributions to basic and applied marine connectivity
K. Selkoe, C. Aloia, E. Crandall, M. Iacchei, L. Liggins, J. Puritz, S. von der Heyden, R. Toonen
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 28 July 2016, Vol. 554, pp. 1-19.  doi: 10.3354/meps11792

Kimberly Selkoe's website