Discoveries

Seagrasses preserve our oceans and planet by absorbing carbon dioxide, calming rough waters, and offering a safe harbor for sea life. Unfortunately, these underwater meadows are under threat, and coastal restoration efforts to replant them often fail. 

In the waters of San Diego’s Mission Bay, a new hybrid seagrass has started to grow. The hybrid is a cross between the shallow-water Zostera marina and its deeper-water cousin, Zostera pacifica, whose tolerance for low-light conditions is a favorable trait as coastal waters become increasingly murky. A research team at Salk and UC San Diego, led by plant biologist Todd Michael, PhD, used advanced genomic and transcriptomic technologies to investigate the hybrid seagrass and found that it possesses specific circadian clock genes, inherited from its deep-water relative, that help it tolerate low-light conditions. The scientists say this genomic profile could make the new hybrid seagrass a promising candidate for future “genomically informed” coastal restoration efforts in California and beyond. 

“With these genomic resources, we can replace trial-and-error plantings, which fail in up to 60 percent of Zostera projects, with genomically informed restoration, selecting genome-environment-matched plants to markedly improve establishment and long-term success.” 

TODD MICHAEL 

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