Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2025

Analyzing Gene Expression from Marine Microbial Communities using Environmental Transcriptomics
Published on: February 18, 2009
Predicting the future of our oceans-Evaluating genomic forecasting approaches in marine species
K K S Layton1,2, M S O Brieuc3, R Castilho4,5,6
1Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
Climate change is restructuring biodiversity on multiple scales and there is a pressing need to understand the downstream ecological and genomic consequences of this change. Recent advancements in the field of eco-evolutionary genomics have sought to include evolutionary processes in forecasting species' responses to climate change (e.g., genomic offset), but to date, much of this work has focused on terrestrial species. Coastal and offshore species, and the fisheries they support, may be even more vulnerable to climate change than their terrestrial counterparts, warranting a critical appraisal of these approaches in marine systems. First, we synthesize knowledge about the genomic basis of adaptation in marine species, and then we discuss the few examples where genomic forecasting has been applied in marine systems. Next, we identify the key challenges in validating genomic offset estimates in marine species, and we advocate for the inclusion of historical sampling data and hindcasting in the validation phase. Lastly, we describe a workflow to guide marine managers in incorporating these predictions into the decision-making process.
Related Concept Videos
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Genomics
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...
Sustainable Development
Genetic Screens
Forward genetic screens
Forward or “classical” genetic screens involve creating random mutations in an organism’s DNA using radiation, mutagens, or insertion of additional bases, which...
Conservation of Declining Populations

