A global partnership to understand the fate of native, invasive and hybrid mussels in a warming ocean

海洋温度正在上升，海洋入侵物种越来越普遍。该项目旨在了解气候变化以及外来和本地海洋物种之间的杂交如何导致沿海物种的快速适应。利用基因组学和生理学的综合方法，并以澳大利亚蓝贻贝为重点，该合作奖将测试有关气候变化和杂交如何使外来物种快速适应和传播的主要假设。成果将包括最大限度地减少入侵贻贝的影响和促进水产养殖贻贝对温暖温度的适应的战略。该项目将产生关于海洋物种如何快速适应海洋变暖的基本见解;了解这一点对于预测自然种群的反应和管理水产养殖生产力具有重大意义，面对气候变化。该合作伙伴奖建立在PI Ellis的NERC资助的创新奖学金基础上，以解决“耐热性是否有助于入侵传播？'.该提案汇集了世界范围内处于贻贝研究前沿的国际领先研究人员。我们结合了联合收割机Ellis的专业知识，以及现有项目合作伙伴Anne Todgham（加州大学戴维斯分校）和Mauricio Urbina博士（孔塞普西翁大学）的专业知识，以及新项目合作伙伴Cynthia Riginos教授（昆士兰州大学）和A/教授克雷格谢尔曼（迪肯大学）的补充专业知识。随着一系列的职业年龄代表（高级：里吉诺斯;中期：谢尔曼/托德汉姆;早期：埃利斯/乌尔维纳），我们可以结合联合收割机的经验与培训，指导，新鲜的观点，和互补的技能组合。为了实现这一创新和令人兴奋的提案的宏伟目标，该项目包括三个关键活动。两个国际研讨会（一个在英国，一个在澳大利亚）将促进建立一个国际贻贝研究网络，以及协调该网络的自我维持的未来财政超出了这个奖项的生命。除了埃克塞特到澳大利亚的2个ECR，以及昆士兰州大学和迪肯大学到埃克塞特的1个ECR外，PI Ellis的互惠交流访问将促进实验室之间的知识交流和下一代国际贻贝研究人员的职业发展。最后，该项目将利用澳大利亚贻贝系统的独特专业知识，利用国际合作提供的世界级设施（Queenscliff海洋研究站）和定制实验技术（在Ellis奖学金期间开发），对增强耐热性在成功入侵澳大利亚贻贝中的作用进行实验调查。因此，这一国际伙伴关系在全球范围内处于独特的地位，可以解决这一具有根本生态和进化意义的问题。

Sea temperatures are rising and marine invasive species are becoming more prevalent. This project aims to understand how climate change and hybridisation between exotic and native marine species leads to rapid adaptation in coastal species. Using integrative approaches from genomics and physiology, and focusing on Australian blue mussels, this partnership award will test leading hypotheses about how climate change and hybridisation can enable rapid adaptation and the spread of exotic species. Outcomes will include strategies for minimising impacts of invasive mussels and boosting warm-temperature adaptation in aquaculture mussels. The project will yield fundamental insights into how marine species can quickly adapt to warming seas; understanding that has major implications for projecting the response of both natural populations, and managing aquaculture productivity, in the face of climate change.This partnership award builds on PI Ellis' NERC funded Innovation Fellowship, to address the question 'does thermal tolerance assist invasive spread?'. The proposal brings together leading international researchers at the forefront of Mytilus research world-wide. We combine Ellis' expertise, and those of A/Prof Anne Todgham (UC Davis) and Dr Mauricio Urbina (Universidad de Concepcion), who are existing project partners as part of Ellis' fellowship, with the complimentary expertise of new project partners Prof Cynthia Riginos (University of Queensland) and A/Prof Craig Sherman (Deakin). With a range of career ages represented (senior: Riginos; mid: Sherman/Todgham; early: Ellis/Urbina) we can combine experience with training, mentoring, fresh perspectives, and complementary skill sets. To achieve the ambitious objectives of this innovative and exciting proposal, this project comprises of three key activities. Two international workshops (1 in UK and 1 in Australia) will facilitate the establishment of an international mussel research network, as well as coordinate the self-sustaining future of the network financially beyond the life of this award. Reciprocal exchange visits for PI Ellis, in addition to 2 ECRs from Exeter, to Australia, as well as 1 ECR each from the Universities of Queensland and Deakin to Exeter, will facilitate knowledge exchange between laboratories and career development of the next generation of international mussel researchers. Finally, the project will undertake an experiment investigation of the role of enhanced thermal tolerance in the successful invasion of Mytilus galloprovincialis in Australia, utilising the unique expertise of Australian Mytilus system, access to world-class facilities (Queenscliff Marine Research Station) and bespoke experimental technology (developed during Ellis' fellowship) that this international collaboration affords. Thus this international partnership is in a unique position globally to address this question of fundamental ecological and evolutionary significance.