Meeting Abstract

28.5  Monday, Jan. 4  Linking physiological traits across rocky intertidal communities through ecological genomics PLACE, S.P.; University of South Carolina splace@biol.sc.edu

Along the Oregon coast, a host of ecological differences in rocky intertidal communities have been documented for two capes separated by less than 70 km. These differences are in large part attributable to oceanographic and coastal geomorphological differences between these regions. In addition, several physiological traits also differ between these regions, suggesting a mechanistic link between physical and ecological processes: among other traits and organisms, Cape Foulweather mussels reproduce less, have lower expression of heat shock response to stress, and have lower growth potential as indexed by RNA/DNA ratios than Cape Perpetua mussels. The tight linkages between oceanographic conditions, ecological performance, and physiological variation suggest that these rocky intertidal systems may be highly sensitive to climatic variation, including global climate change. In an effort to understand the complex molecular underpinnings of these linkages, we have been taking a genomics based approach to characterize gene expression patterns within Mytilus californianus populations inhabiting these dynamic capes. We expect that variation in these gene expression patterns may highlight the drivers of phenotypic plasticity within these ecosystems. In this integrative study we highlight the potential for these new approaches to meet the urgent need to understand the mechanistic linkages between multiple drivers of physiological responses in critical habitats.