Biology subjects

Gattuso, J.-P.

Publications and source records attributed to Gattuso, J.-P..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Benthic diversity along an Arctic fjord: which are the key factors?

Arctic coastal ecosystems include benthic communities that hold an important role within the marine food chain. Kelps, fucoid species, and coralline algae dominate rocky habitats, offering food and shelter for various species. Kelps and fucoid species also aid in carbon sequestration, sediment stabilization, and erosion mitigation. In summer, the influx of freshwater from glacier and permafrost melt alters coastal waters conditions. The input of turbid freshwater influences underwater light, salinity, and substrate, impacting benthic organism distribution. This study investigates possible link between environmental conditions and benthic diversity through environmental DNA (eDNA). Six sites were monitored along Kongsfjorden (Svalbard,Norway) during the summer of 2021. Contrary to expectations, macroalgal distribution didnt correlate with light, and suspension feeders showed no clear links with chlorophyll a or nutrient concentrations. Glacial influence may have contributed to higher benthic diversity. Predators presence, tied to glacier proximity, possibly explained this trend. However, further studies are needed to validate these observations and assumptions.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Molecular basis of ocean acidification sensitivity and adaptation in Mytilus galloprovincialis

One challenge in global change biology is to identify the mechanisms underpinning physiological sensitivities to environmental change and to predict their potential to adapt to future conditions. Using ocean acidification as the representative stressor, molecular pathways associated with abnormal larval development of a globally distributed marine mussel are identified. The targeted developmental stage was the trochophore stage, which is, for a few hours, pH sensitive and is the main driver of developmental success. RNA sequencing and in situ RNA hybridization were used to identify processes associated with abnormal development, and DNA sequencing was used to identify which processes evolve when larvae are exposed to low pH for the full duration of their larval stage. Trochophores exposed to low pH exhibited 43 differentially expressed genes. Thirteen genes, none of which have previously been identified in mussel trochophores, including three unknown genes, were expressed in the shell field. Gene annotation and in situ hybridization point to two core processes associated with the response to low pH: development of the trochophore shell field and the cellular stress response. Encompassing both of these processes, five genes demonstrated changes in allele frequency that are indicative of rapid adaptation. Thus, genes underpinning the most pH-sensitive developmental processes also exhibit scope to adapt via genetic variation currently maintained in the mussel population. These results provide evidence that protecting species existing genetic diversity is a critical management action to maximize the potential for rapid adaptation under a changing environment.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

Cryptic genetic variation underpins rapid adaptation to ocean acidification

Global climate change has intensified the need to assess the capacity for natural populations to adapt to abrupt shifts in the environment. Reductions in seawater pH constitute a conspicuous stressor associated with increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide that is affecting ecosystems throughout the worlds oceans. Here, we quantify the phenotypic and genetic modifications associated with rapid adaptation to reduced seawater pH in the marine mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis. We reared a genetically diverse larval population in ambient and extreme low pH conditions (pHT 8.1 and 7.4) and tracked changes in the larval size and allele frequency distributions through settlement. Additionally, we separated larvae by size to link a fitness-related trait to its underlying genetic background in each treatment. Both phenotypic and genetic data show that M. galloprovincialis can evolve in response to a decrease in seawater pH. This process is polygenic and characterized by genotype-environment interactions, suggesting the role of cryptic genetic variation in adaptation to future climate change. Holistically, this work provides insight into the processes underpinning rapid evolution, and demonstrates the importance of maintaining standing variation within natural populations to bolster species adaptive capacity as global change progresses.

evolutionary biology↗