Enhancing research capacity on Cape Cod for studies of coastal ecosystems that are at risk from climate change and other human impacts

气候变化和其他人类影响的影响可能很难评估，特别是对长寿的、神秘的物种。海岸研究中心（CCS, www.coastalstudies.org）四十多年来一直在研究受威胁和濒危物种以及脆弱的海岸生态系统。该项目建立了一个分子遗传/组学实验室，以加强多年来，跨学科和合作的生物学研究。科德角的专门实验室将促进沿海和海洋物种的研究，特别支持长期的鲸类研究，包括通过提供法医数据来研究人类影响，洞察遗传多样性和适应性，以及现代种群反应的进化背景。该实验室将服务于广泛的区域科学界，为学生提供实践机会，并支持管理机构的需求。通过CCS的外展和教育项目，公众外展每年有可能接触到2万名成人和儿童。分子遗传学实验室是位于马萨诸塞州Provincetown的CCS综合分析实验室的扩展，并将配备遗传和基因组分析，如“基因型测序”和全基因组测序，以及内部生物信息学和数据分析。该实验室还受益于与格罗宁根大学海洋进化和保护实验室的合作，该实验室是一个完善的实验室，也是北大西洋鲸鱼物种遗传样本的主要储存库。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The effects of climate change and other human impacts can be challenging to assess, especially for long‐lived, cryptic species. The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS, www.coastalstudies.org) has studied threatened and endangered species and vulnerable coastal ecosystems for more than four decades. This project establishes a molecular genetic/omics laboratory to enhance multidecadal, inter‐disciplinary and collaborative biological research. A dedicated lab on Cape Cod will facilitate the study of coastal and marine species, with particular support for long‐term cetacean research, including studies of human impacts by providing forensic data, insights into genetic diversity and fitness, and the evolutionary context for modern population responses. The lab will serve the extensive regional scientific community, provide hands‐on opportunities for students and support the needs of management agencies. Public outreach has the potential to reach 20,000 adults and children each year through CCS outreach and education programs.The molecular genetics lab is an expansion of the CCS Integrated Analytical Laboratory in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and would be equipped for genetic and genomic assays, such as “genotype‐by‐sequencing” and whole genome sequencing, as well as in‐house bioinformatics and data analysis. The lab further benefits from a partnership with the Marine Evolution and Conservation Lab at the University of Groningen, a well‐established laboratory and the primary repository for genetic samples of North Atlantic whale species.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.