NSF PRFB FY 2023: The genomics of local adaptation of larval settlement in a biofouling marine invertebrate

Birch, Sydney, Charlotte NC

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2023, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment, and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. Many animals in marine ecosystems have a larval stage that transforms into a juvenile. The factors that impact how and where larvae choose to settle are largely unknown. Biofilms composed of algae, bacteria, and other microbes produce various chemical cues that larvae may detect with their sensory system to make settlement decisions. This research will use the cnidarian Ectopleura crocea, E. crocea, a biofouling species common to New England marine structures and docks, to determine how biofilms impact larval settlement. This award will ultimately deepen the understanding of how larval settlement and costly biofouling may change in the face of climate change and will provide insights into conditions that lead to local adaptation. Additionally, this award will allow the fellow to learn new techniques, gain experience mentoring undergraduate researchers, and participate in outreach programs to engage with and support the diverse community in Charlotte, North Carolina. The fellow will study how the composition of microbial communities in biofilm differs by location and influences larval settlement, assessing local adaptation. The fellow hypothesizes that distinct populations of E. crocea are locally adapted to specific biofilms, where larvae are cueing in on adult-associated microbes. The first aim will investigate the larval settlement response of E. crocea larvae from different populations in the Gulf of Maine to unique biofilms by performing reciprocal transplant larval settlement experiments across a panel of localities. It will characterize the composition and function of the microbes in the biofilm. The second aim will examine the genomic population structure of E. crocea and the microbes associated with adults from different populations. The fellow will correlate these results to the larval settlement study to gain insight into genotype-phenotype interactions. The third aim will test how increased temperatures impact microbial communities in biofilm across localities and how that impacts the settlement of larvae from different populations. Through the mentorship of the sponsoring scientist, the fellow will gain training in laboratory and computational skills in population genetics and microbiology. The fellow will participate in and co-organize activities at UNC Charlotte to broaden participation in STEM. 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.