Adaptive capacity of marine invertebrates in a climate change ocean. As the oceans simultaneously warm and acidify, prospects for marine biota are of concern. This project aims to determine the potential for phenotypic adjustment and evolutionary adaptation. To discern the roles of phenotype and genotype in marine invertebrate stress tolerance this project endeavours to use selection experiments, long-term rearing and quantitative genetics . A focus on vulnerable calcification systems could dete ....Adaptive capacity of marine invertebrates in a climate change ocean. As the oceans simultaneously warm and acidify, prospects for marine biota are of concern. This project aims to determine the potential for phenotypic adjustment and evolutionary adaptation. To discern the roles of phenotype and genotype in marine invertebrate stress tolerance this project endeavours to use selection experiments, long-term rearing and quantitative genetics . A focus on vulnerable calcification systems could determine genetic mechanisms underlying impaired growth. Investigation of species from the east Australia latitudinal thermal gradient, a global change hot spot could generate insights into biological responses and adaptive potential in a changing ocean and on time scales relevant to resource managers to understand the challenges faced by marine biota.Read moreRead less
Predicting adaptive responses to climate change in Australian native bees. This project aims to understand how insects will adapt to climate change by examining a largely overlooked but economically important group of species: Australian native bees. Native bees are important pollinators of both crops and native plants, but their sensitivity to changes in climate are unknown. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of the resilience of native bees to climate change, and new effective tools for p ....Predicting adaptive responses to climate change in Australian native bees. This project aims to understand how insects will adapt to climate change by examining a largely overlooked but economically important group of species: Australian native bees. Native bees are important pollinators of both crops and native plants, but their sensitivity to changes in climate are unknown. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of the resilience of native bees to climate change, and new effective tools for predicting climate change resilience that can be applied to many species. The intended benefits include increasing our understanding of the potential for native bees to act as future pollinators in Australia’s natural and agro-ecosystems, and guide policy and management decisions to better protect and conserve our bee fauna.Read moreRead less
Interacting with change: inter-specific competition and climate change . The project aims to understand how species will adapt to climate change by examining a largely overlooked process: how competition shapes evolutionary responses. Rising temperatures will fundamentally alter where species live, re-shuffling communities. Yet, how changes in community composition will affect the way current assessments of species vulnerability to climate change is generally unknown. Expected outcomes include i ....Interacting with change: inter-specific competition and climate change . The project aims to understand how species will adapt to climate change by examining a largely overlooked process: how competition shapes evolutionary responses. Rising temperatures will fundamentally alter where species live, re-shuffling communities. Yet, how changes in community composition will affect the way current assessments of species vulnerability to climate change is generally unknown. Expected outcomes include improved species models for predicting responses to climate change through the integration of competitive effects with environmental data. The benefit will be an increased accuracy in predictions of species at risk to climate change which will guide policy and management decisions to protect vulnerable environments better.Read moreRead less
Can endosymbionts alter climate change resilience in insects? This project aims to establish whether endosymbionts alter climate change vulnerability and investigate the potential for endosymbionts to be used as a tool to modify climate change resilience in insects. Heritable endosymbionts – microscopic bacteria living exclusively within host cells – are widespread in insects. A handful of studies indicate that endosymbionts may influence the thermal tolerance of their host, yet whether they al ....Can endosymbionts alter climate change resilience in insects? This project aims to establish whether endosymbionts alter climate change vulnerability and investigate the potential for endosymbionts to be used as a tool to modify climate change resilience in insects. Heritable endosymbionts – microscopic bacteria living exclusively within host cells – are widespread in insects. A handful of studies indicate that endosymbionts may influence the thermal tolerance of their host, yet whether they alter the upper thermal limits and climate change risk of insects is unknown. This fellowship will provide a greater understanding of the consequences of climate change on species persistence, as well as opening up avenues to utilise endosymbionts as a tool to manipulate the climate change resilience of insects.
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Evolutionary impacts of gene interactions in a rapidly changing world. This project aims to understand how gene interactions impact evolution in our warming marine environments. The role of gene interactions is controversial because they are assumed to have little effect on genetic variation for fitness in natural populations. Yet new data show that this effect can be substantial and is enhanced by heat stress, explaining most of the genetic variation available for evolution under stressful cond ....Evolutionary impacts of gene interactions in a rapidly changing world. This project aims to understand how gene interactions impact evolution in our warming marine environments. The role of gene interactions is controversial because they are assumed to have little effect on genetic variation for fitness in natural populations. Yet new data show that this effect can be substantial and is enhanced by heat stress, explaining most of the genetic variation available for evolution under stressful conditions. The project aims to use quantitative genetics, genomics, and theory to determine the evolutionary impacts on marine populations facing rapid ocean warming in southeast Australia. The outcomes could change how we view gene interactions, and help us to better predict biological responses to environmental change.Read moreRead less
Animals response to extreme climatic events. Climate change is causing extreme climatic events, such as floods and heat waves, to become more frequent. This project will investigate by which mechanism animals can adjust to extreme climatic events and whether the response is fast enough to avoid extinction, thereby providing urgently needed insights into the natural resilience of Australian fauna.
Comparative Paleogenomics of the Arctic Tundra Ecosystem: the genetic response of plants and animals to climate change. This project will use DNA from deep-frozen seeds and bones 100,000 years old to record how species respond to climate change - by adapting and surviving or by shifting ranges and moving. Very large numbers of genes will be examined to identify changes across the genomes of four plant and two animal species, and contrast the responses to major climatic shifts.
Keeping pace with a changing climate: can Australian plants count on rapid evolution? Integrating field and common-garden experiments with cutting-edge genomic technology, this project will answer the critical question of whether Australia's flora can count on evolution to keep pace with a rapidly changing climate. The project outcomes will inform science-based policies integrating social-economic development and biodiversity conservation.
Sex is important in adaptation to environmental change. Aims: This project will use novel experiments with the aim of determining the potential for plasticity to be adaptive with sexual selection and how non-genetic effects transfer across generations by establishing genomic mechanisms. Significance: Plasticity (or acclimation) is often hailed as the saviour for species in the face of rapid climate change, but it is problematic if it is not adaptive in nature. Expected outcomes: Expected outcome ....Sex is important in adaptation to environmental change. Aims: This project will use novel experiments with the aim of determining the potential for plasticity to be adaptive with sexual selection and how non-genetic effects transfer across generations by establishing genomic mechanisms. Significance: Plasticity (or acclimation) is often hailed as the saviour for species in the face of rapid climate change, but it is problematic if it is not adaptive in nature. Expected outcomes: Expected outcomes include an enhanced ability to predict adaptation of fish under environmental change. Benefits: This project will provide significant benefits to Australian and international communities that rely on fish for nutrition, economic and social values, through an improved evidence base to inform management.Read moreRead less