Detecting the genomic and transcriptomic imprints of environmental change in a marine fish species through space and time

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Global ecosystems have been exposed to unprecedented environmental change in the past decades, with dire consequences for biological communities. While many species are assumed to decline, some seemingly tolerate environmental change, possibly by rapid evolutionary adaptation. However, the overall relevance and genetic mechanisms of such evolutionary change are not well understood. Here we propose to use a unique 30-year time series population dataset of the eelpout Zoarces viviparus, a fish species from the Baltic and Northern Seas, to explore phenotypic, transcriptomic and genomic responses of populations exposed to environmental change through space and time. The samples were collected according to a highly standardized protocol and stored at ultra-low temperatures as part of a Germany-wide biomonitoring program. The resulting excellent preservation allows us to analyze temporal genomic and transcriptomic changes of populations in parallel. We will first analyze population genomes from across the fish’s range to identify its genetic structure and signatures of adaptation to natural environmental gradients, namely, salinity and temperature. Based on this background and using population genomic time series, we will then test the hypothesis that the fish have adapted to changing environmental conditions in the past 3 decades. We will complement our population genomic analyses with detailed phenotypic assessments and investigations of changing gene expression patterns along the population time series and in an aquarium experiment. Our work promises unprecedented real-time insights into phenotypic, transcriptomic and genomic responses of populations to global change, and will be of great relevance to inform future conservation of marine biodiversity.