Meeting Abstract
Rapid warming of the Southern Ocean has impacted global distribution and abundance of many key marine zooplankton, including the Antarctic Salp, Salpa thompsoni. Although frequently overlooked, Salpa thompsoni is a highly efficient filter feeder that has exceptional capacity for rapid population growth – bloom formation – as the Southern Ocean warms. These blooms significantly reduce primary production and availability of phytoplankton for other primary consumers causing major alterations of the pelagic food web. While it is clear that salps form blooms when environmental conditions are favorable, the genetic mechanisms of their complex life history that facilitate successful salp bloom formation in response to changing ocean temperatures are currently unknown. Therefore, we aim to understand and predict the ability of Salpa thompsoni to adapt to environmental variability and alter their biogeographic distribution and abundance through bloom cycles. Our previous work uncovered that Salpa thompsoni genomes, like those of other tunicates, are evolving at higher rates than other chordates. Further research will focus on completion of a comprehensive reference genome for the Antarctic salp to aid in the identification of genes and gene networks that may be subject to positive selection (i.e. evolving at elevated rates) and show differential response to environmental changes. Additionally, we will look at novel small RNAs that reflect unique regulatory mechanisms and developmental processes. Completion of a reference Salpa thompsoni genome assembly will provide a valuable foundational resource for researchers seeking to understand the dynamics of the Southern Ocean pelagic food web and potential responses of this ecosystem to climate change.
