Seascape Genomics: Contextualizing Adaptive and Neutral Genomic Variation in the Ocean Environment

Abstract

Seventy-one per cent of the earth’s surface is covered by ocean which contains almost 80% of the world’s phyla – “seascape genomics” is the study of how spatial dependence and environmental features in the ocean influence the geographic structure of genomic patterns in marine organisms. The field extends from seascape genetics where the study of small numbers of neutral loci predominates, to additionally consider larger numbers of loci from throughout the genome that may be of some functional or adaptive significance and are subject to selection. Seascape genomics is conceptually similar to landscape genomics; the disciplines share theoretical underpinnings, and the genetic measures and analytical methods are often the same. However, the spatio-temporal variability of the physical ocean environment and the biological characteristics of marine organisms (e.g. large population sizes and high dispersal ability) present some characteristic challenges and opportunities for spatial population genomics studies. This chapter provides an overview of the field of seascape genomics, outlines concepts and methods to consider when conducting seascape genomics studies, and highlights future research avenues and opportunities for the application of seascape genomics to global issues affecting our marine environment.