RII Track-2FEC: Genomic Ecology of Coastal Organisms (GECO)? A Systems-Based Research and Training Program in Genome-Phenome Relationships in the Wild

University Of New Hampshire, Durham NH

Investigators

Abstract

Nontechnical Description This Research and Infrastructure Improvement Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (RII Track-2 FEC) award harnesses complementary research expertise at the Universities of New Hampshire and Maine for an integrated study of genomes to phenomes in natural systems. The project team will develop a research and training program in the Genomic Ecology of Coastal Organisms (GECO) to advance understanding of the genetic bases of organismal responses to natural environments. The program integrates genomic technologies with field-based ecological and observational data of six species of tidal marsh birds inhabiting a harsh environmental gradient in a coastal ecosystem. The research will reveal insights into the genetic basis of adaptation at a genome-wide level and the links between genotype, phenotype and environment in the context of resulting organismal performance and fitness. These are key questions in evolutionary biology today, which can only be pursued through studies like this one of wild populations in dynamic, natural environments. The project will thereby advance understanding of long-standing questions in evolutionary biology as well as provide novel insight into genetic elements and mechanisms that underlie organismal resilience and adaptive capacity. The latter are important for predicting organismal responses to rapidly changing environments. To facilitate societal benefit, conservation implications of this project will be transferred directly to resource managers and other stakeholders. The project provides extensive training and mentoring opportunities for the team aimed at producing professionals adept at systems-level thinking at all biological scales. Educational activities include the development of a new graduate training certificate in ecological genomics and at the undergraduate-level, the development of active-learning modules aimed at addressing known conceptual difficulties in genetics, ecology, and evolution. Additional outreach programs will provide high school students from underrepresented low-income groups and rural areas with learning experiences focused on ecological adaptation and coastal ecosystems. Technical Description One of the largest gaps in our understanding of genome to phenome relationships is how these interactions are driven and constrained by environmental forces in free-living organisms. This collaborative project between the Universities of New Hampshire and Maine addresses this knowledge gap through a research and training program in the Genomic Ecology of Coastal Organisms (GECO), focused on advancing understanding of the genetic bases of organismal responses to natural environments. The systems-level approach of this program links genomic, transcriptomic, and phenotypic data to organismal performance and fitness, using six tidal marsh bird species undergoing parallel evolutionary processes in a dynamic coastal ecosystem. The research will advance understanding of long-standing questions in evolutionary biology about the genetic bases and genomic architecture of adaptation, the influence of phylogeny on parallel evolution, and the relative roles of phenotypic plasticity and genetic adaptation. It will also provide novel insight into genetic elements and mechanisms that underlie organismal resilience and adaptive capacity, as well as the extended effects of genome and phenome variation for ecological communities and ecosystems. The resulting insights are needed for predicting organismal responses to rapidly changing future environments, a critical and timely scientific goal with important societal benefits. Conservation implications of this research will be rapidly transferred to stakeholders from state, federal, and non-governmental organization with a focus on translating research into on-the-ground actions. The program provides training and mentoring for early career faculty, postdoctoral associates and numerous graduate and undergraduate students in ecological genomics. It creates a graduate certificate in Genome to Phenome Adaptation; active-learning, systems-level teaching modules for undergraduate genetics, ecology, and evolution courses; and STEM pedagogical training for post-docs and early career faculty. A Diversity Action Plan guides recruitment and retention of program members and STEM-based outreach programs will expose high school students from underrepresented low-income groups and rural areas to scientific tools and research. 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.