An algae pond crawled onto a beach in southern New Zealand. Credit: University of Otago
Kelp’s DNA has allowed scientists to show how the coastal communities of the Southern Ocean are interconnected.
A study led by the University of Otago conducted genomic analysis of washed seaweed for decades in Antarctica, New Zealand and Australia.
The work, just published in Current biologyrevealed that the algae found on the beaches of southeastern New Zealand came from South Georgia and Marion Island, while the algae found in Tasmania came from the Kerguelen Islands.
The lead author, Associate Professor Ceridwen Fraser of the Department of Marine Science, says the research focuses on the power of genomic tools to track the movements of species.
“It was exciting to find biological connections between the east and west of the Pacific and discover how often these events are happening: tens of millions of algae ponds are drifting across the Southern Ocean, connecting these all the time. coasts, ”he says.
The study is based on previous research published in 2018 on only two pieces of southern bull kelp found in Antarctica. Analyzing the genomes of 25 other ponds found in Antarctica since then, the group decided to include other pieces found in New Zealand and Australia over the past few decades.
The simulated oceanographic modeling also revealed a “surprising discovery” that more than 10% of the particles released from South Georgia reached southern New Zealand and more than 6% reached Tasmania.
“This allowed us to create an image of the algae ponds that frequently traveled in large numbers across the Southern Ocean and connect land masses. And it’s not just the algae itself, but it carries a lot of organisms with it.” says Associate Professor Fraser.
Kelp ponds, which can be a group of several plants, can be up to 12 meters long, and can carry crustaceans, arthropods, isopods, crabs, mollusks, worms, starfish, and so on.
The co-author, Dr. Erasmo Macaya of the Universidad de Concepción in Chile, says the research is important because it shows how floating species are able to cross major oceanographic barriers, sometimes reaching Antarctica where they are currently not part of the ecosystem.
“We also found, for the first time, that algae were usually fully reproductive, with male and female plants traveling, which shows that they have a high potential to complete the life cycle and colonize new territories, when conditions are right. appropriate. “he says.
Associate Professor Fraser says the question of whether this potential colonization is good or bad is a matter of perspective.
“Many organisms are trying to move their distributions south because it is too hot in the north. The Kelp and its passengers can disperse very well and reach distant land masses, so they are in a very good position to colonize. a new territory as it warms up and becomes habitable for them. “
“It’s an interesting challenge that scientists will have to face, perhaps moving away from the idea of conservation to maintaining the status quo and instead trying to manage change to maximize biodiversity and ecosystem outcomes.” .
She believes that the ever-advancing field of genomics provides an amazing tool for species management strategies.
“From an invasive species perspective, we now have tools where we can extract DNA from something that has just arrived and find out how it got there, because we can identify where it came from. This allows us to do changes in management strategy. ”
Kelp’s record journey exposes Antarctic ecosystems to change. More information: Ceridwen and Fraser, the southern hemisphere coasts are biologically connected by frequent long-distance rafting events. Current biology (2022). DOI: 10.1016 / j.cub.2022.05.035. www.cell.com/current-biology/f… 0960-9822 (22) 00797-7 Provided by the University of Otago
Citation: Genomics Reveals Kelp Connects Coastal Communities in the South Pacific (2022, June 8) Retrieved June 8, 2022
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