A seascape of adaptations - Testing models that predict performance in multivariate environments

Environmental heterogeneity in space and time can act as a strong selective pressure driving adaptive divergence of populations.

This relationship between adaptive genetic variation, environmental drivers and evolutionary processes is a central topic in evolutionary biology.In this project A seascape of adaptations - Testing models that predict performance in multivariate environments, we will carry out a seascape genomic study on large spatial scales (100s km) using whole-genome-sequencing, and relate genomic patterns of local adaptation observed in the target species eelgrass to environmental factors.

Based on this seascape survey, we will then predict fitness of certain genotypes in a particular multivariate environment, and translate fitness into maladaptation or “genomic offset” under global change.

The predictions will be experimentally validated in common garden mesocosm experiments, taking advantage of partial clonality to expose identical genotypes to different environments.The ultimate goals of this project are to identify environmental parameters that drive local adaptation in eelgrass, and predict persistence in a future and changing seascape.

The novelty of the project lies in the application of the concept of genomic offset, which allows to incorporate an evolutionary dimension into ecological questions and would also mean a breakthrough for the application of genetic diversity within management and conservation.