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Using genomics to understand how freshwater fishes turned a lethal environment into an ideal habitat

Project description

Deep sequencing brackish water

What does the genome of two freshwater fish species have to do with climate change? Rising sea levels and changes in precipitation, both effects of ongoing global warming, dramatically alter estuarine ecosystems. Therefore, understanding how past environmental changes led to genomic adaptations is the key to predicting the adaptive potential of fishes. The EU-funded BrackAdapt project studies two freshwater fish species in the Baltic Sea, perch (Perca fluviatilis) and pike (Esox lucius), that developed brackish water ecotypes to thrive at salinities exceeding their internal salinity. Through deep sequencing of perch and pike, BrackAdapt aims to identify the demographic and evolutionary history of each species. The project could protect locally adapted biodiversity.

Objective

Ongoing climate change leads to rising sea levels and changes in local precipitation volume and regularity which will reshape estuarine ecosystems across Earth. As current climate change dramatically alters estuarine ecosystems, fish populations must adapt to the novel environment, or they will go extinct. Understanding how past environmental changes led to genomic adaptations is the key to predicting the adaptive potential of fishes facing ongoing climate change and could be the difference between protecting and losing locally adapted biodiversity. Perch (Perca fluviatilis) and pike (Esox lucius) are two freshwater fish species inhabiting freshwater ecosystems across the northern hemisphere. Nevertheless, in the Baltic Sea, which is the worlds largest estuary, each species have developed brackish water ecotypes capable of thriving at salinities exceeding their internal salinity. This requires fundamentally different cellular functions and is lethal to non-adapted freshwater individuals. However, their evolutionary histories and functional genomic adaptations are unknown. Through deep sequencing of brackish water and freshwater ecotypes of perch and pike, Project BrackAdapt aims to identify the demographic and evolutionary history of each species. The project will identify genomic regions under selection for salinity tolerance and investigate whether genomic adaptations to environmental changes are parallel in function, time and space within and between species. The training and project management experience I will gain during the project will be a stepping-stone for my career to advance and make me an independent researcher.

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Topic(s)

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01

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Coordinator

LUNDS UNIVERSITET
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 222 727,68
Address
Paradisgatan 5c
22100 Lund
Sweden

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Region
Södra Sverige Sydsverige Skåne län
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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