Using genomics to link traits to ecosystem function in the eelgrass Zostera marina

海草生态系统为沿海地区提供重要服务，包括初级生产、碳储存、营养循环、渔业物种栖息地和侵蚀控制。与此同时，鳗草受到直接破坏、污染和其他人类对环境的影响的威胁。我们知道，鳗草的遗传多样性促进了海草床的生长和持久性，但这种知识在恢复和保护方面的应用有限。这项工作将通过考虑多样性的哪些具体方面对海草生态系统的保护和恢复至关重要来指导恢复计划，帮助指导原始材料的选择，以提高恢复成功率(通常较低)。该项目综合了多样性的多个组成部分的影响，并阐明了遗传和生态独特性可以在多大程度上预测生态系统功能。智力上的优点：通过集合中遗传不同的个体(基因)的数量衡量的遗传多样性影响着广泛生态系统中的关键生态系统功能。功能多样性、关键特征的存在或种群对环境变化的反应灵活性都是这些模式背后的潜在机制，但区分它们需要在遗传多样性和组合中存在的表型之间建立明确的联系。研究人员和其他人此前已经证明，鳗草(Zostera Marina)的基因多样性提高了林分生产力、动物群落多样性和对环境变化的适应能力。这些基因多样性效应与基因决定的性状多样性的增加有关。在不测量每个基因的特征的情况下预测特征多样性仍然是功能多样性方法在恢复和管理中更广泛应用的主要障碍。在这个项目中，研究人员评估了基因组中的单核苷酸多态(SNPs)与我们将在个人、群体和海景尺度上衡量的性能相关性状之间的关联。他们还从田间采样中评估了性状分化的环境相关因素。最后，研究小组将比较基因组SNP多样性与其他种内多样性指标对田间种植的鳗草组合的功能(生产力、无脊椎动物丰度)的预测能力。如果基因组变异可以可靠地用于预测功能特征，那么基因组测序工作对管理的信息价值将大大提高。更广泛的影响：海草的恢复和缓解目前是加州和其他地方主要关注的问题，该项目的结果将通过州海洋保护委员会为加州目前关于鳗草管理的倡议提供信息。除了招募来自不同背景的学生参与该项目外，该项目还通过与加州大学戴维斯分校现有的三个外展/培训项目合作，扩大了学生在STEM领域的参与。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Seagrass ecosystems provide important services to coastal regions, including primary production, carbon storage, nutrient cycling, habitat for fisheries species, and erosion control. At the same time, eelgrass is threatened by direct destruction, pollution, and other human impacts on the environment. We know that genetic diversity in eelgrass enhances seagrass bed growth and persistence, but application of this knowledge to restoration and conservation is limited. This work will guide restoration programs by considering what specific aspects of diversity are important to conservation and restoration of seagrass ecosystems, helping to guide the selection of source material to improve restoration success (which is often low). The project integrates the effects of multiple components of diversity and clarifies the extent to which genetic and ecological uniqueness can predict ecosystem functions.Intellectual Merit: Genetic diversity as measured by the number of genetically distinct individuals (genets) in an assemblage influences critical ecosystem functions in a wide range of ecosystems. Functional diversity, the presence of key traits, or population flexibility to respond to environmental change are all potential mechanisms underlying these patterns, but distinguishing among them requires a clear link between genetic diversity and the phenotypes present in an assemblage. The investigators, and others, have previously demonstrated that genet diversity in eelgrass (Zostera marina) increases stand productivity, animal community diversity, and resilience to environmental change. These genet diversity effects are associated with increases in genetically determined trait diversity. Predicting trait diversity without having to measure traits of every genet remains a major barrier to wider application of functional diversity approaches in restoration and management. In this project, the investigators assess the association between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) across the genome and performance-related traits that we will measure at the individual, population, and seascape-scale. They also assess environmental correlates of trait differentiation from field sampling. Finally, the research team will compare the predictive power of genomic SNP diversity versus other metrics of intraspecific diversity for the functioning (productivity, invertebrate abundance) of field planted eelgrass assemblages. If genomic variation can reliably be used to predict functional traits, then the value of genomic sequencing efforts for informing management will be greatly enhanced. Broader Impacts: Seagrass restoration and mitigation is currently of major interest in California and elsewhere and the project results will inform current initiatives regarding eelgrass management in California through the state's Ocean Protection Council. In addition to recruiting individual students from diverse backgrounds to work on the project, the project broadens participation of students in STEM fields through its partnership with three existing outreach/training programs at UC Davis.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.