Strong Environmental and Genome-Wide Population Differentiation Underpins Adaptation and High Genomic Vulnerability in the Dominant Australian Kelp (<i>Ecklonia radiata</i>).

ABSTRACT: Ongoing and predicted range loss of kelp forests in response to climatic stressors is pressing marine managers to look into the adaptive capacity of populations to inform conservation strategies. Characterising how adaptive genetic diversity and structure relate to present and future environmental variation represents an emerging approach to quantifying kelp vulnerability to environmental change and identifying populations with genotypes that potentially confer an adaptive advantage in future ocean conditions. The dominant Australian kelp, Ecklonia radiata, was genotyped from 10 locations spanning 2000 km of coastline and a 9.5°C average temperature gradient along the east coast of Australia, a global warming hotspot. ddRAD sequencing generated 10,700 high-quality single nucleotide

SUBMITTER: Minne AJP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12068950 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature