Aquatic Landscape Genomics and Environmental Effects on Genetic Variation

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Genomics
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Landscape genomics research is heavily focused on terrestrial systems, overlooking aquatic environments.
• Aquatic species are vital for biodiversity, food security, and conservation, yet understudied in landscape genomics.
• Unique aquatic properties necessitate tailored approaches for genetic studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a roadmap for planning and executing aquatic landscape genomics projects.
• To aggregate essential spatial and software resources for researchers.
• To offer recommendations and caution against analytical pitfalls in aquatic genomics.

Main Methods:

• Review and aggregation of spatial and software resources relevant to aquatic genomics.
• Development of recommendations for sampling, data production, and analysis strategies.
• Discussion of unique freshwater and marine properties impacting genetic assessments.

Main Results:

• Identification of key considerations for freshwater and marine system structures.
• Emphasis on assessing genetic diversity, population connectivity, and natural selection signals.
• Recommendation to parse genomic datasets into neutral, adaptive, and sex-linked components.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive roadmap is provided to advance aquatic landscape genomics research.
• Consideration of aquatic-specific properties is crucial for accurate eco-evolutionary inferences.
• Parsing genomic data enhances the precision of understanding population dynamics and adaptation.