Ecological adaptation in cod and herring and possible consequences of future climate change in the Baltic Sea
The Atlantic herring and Atlantic cod are two marine fish species that have successfully adapted to the brackish Baltic Sea, and the former is able to spawn in near-freshwater conditions in the inner Gulf of Bothnia. Here, we review the state of current knowledge concerning ecological adaptation in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1101855/full |
| _version_ | 1797870457775456256 |
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| author | Leif Andersson Leif Andersson Carl André Carl André Kerstin Johannesson Kerstin Johannesson Mats Pettersson |
| author_facet | Leif Andersson Leif Andersson Carl André Carl André Kerstin Johannesson Kerstin Johannesson Mats Pettersson |
| author_sort | Leif Andersson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Atlantic herring and Atlantic cod are two marine fish species that have successfully adapted to the brackish Baltic Sea, and the former is able to spawn in near-freshwater conditions in the inner Gulf of Bothnia. Here, we review the state of current knowledge concerning ecological adaptation in the two species and make an attempt to predict how they will be able to cope with future climate change. Previous whole genome sequencing studies in Atlantic herring have revealed hundreds of genetic loci underlying ecological adaptation, including several loci that show very strong associations to variation in salinity and temperature. These results suggest the existence of standing genetic variation available for adaptation to a changing environment. However, although Atlantic herring probably has the genetic potential to adapt, its future status also depends on how climate change will affect plankton production and competing species, such as sprat and three-spined stickleback. In cod, the situation is challenging, as there is only one true Baltic population, spawning east of Bornholm and then dispersing towards the east and north. This Baltic cod population is threatened by overfishing, low oxygen levels in benthic waters and generally bad physiological condition of individual fish, in addition to being completely isolated from gene flow from nearby cod populations at the entrance of the Baltic Sea. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:28:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-807ca31c026d4236adc80bf6e1f62040 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:28:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-807ca31c026d4236adc80bf6e1f620402023-03-15T05:22:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452023-03-011010.3389/fmars.2023.11018551101855Ecological adaptation in cod and herring and possible consequences of future climate change in the Baltic SeaLeif Andersson0Leif Andersson1Carl André2Carl André3Kerstin Johannesson4Kerstin Johannesson5Mats Pettersson6Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesDepartment of Marine Sciences-Tjärnö, Göteborg University, Strömstad, SwedenCentre for Marine Evolutionary Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenDepartment of Marine Sciences-Tjärnö, Göteborg University, Strömstad, SwedenCentre for Marine Evolutionary Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenThe Atlantic herring and Atlantic cod are two marine fish species that have successfully adapted to the brackish Baltic Sea, and the former is able to spawn in near-freshwater conditions in the inner Gulf of Bothnia. Here, we review the state of current knowledge concerning ecological adaptation in the two species and make an attempt to predict how they will be able to cope with future climate change. Previous whole genome sequencing studies in Atlantic herring have revealed hundreds of genetic loci underlying ecological adaptation, including several loci that show very strong associations to variation in salinity and temperature. These results suggest the existence of standing genetic variation available for adaptation to a changing environment. However, although Atlantic herring probably has the genetic potential to adapt, its future status also depends on how climate change will affect plankton production and competing species, such as sprat and three-spined stickleback. In cod, the situation is challenging, as there is only one true Baltic population, spawning east of Bornholm and then dispersing towards the east and north. This Baltic cod population is threatened by overfishing, low oxygen levels in benthic waters and generally bad physiological condition of individual fish, in addition to being completely isolated from gene flow from nearby cod populations at the entrance of the Baltic Sea.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1101855/fullAtlantic herringAtlantic codgenetic adaptationclimate changeBaltic Sea |
| spellingShingle | Leif Andersson Leif Andersson Carl André Carl André Kerstin Johannesson Kerstin Johannesson Mats Pettersson Ecological adaptation in cod and herring and possible consequences of future climate change in the Baltic Sea Frontiers in Marine Science Atlantic herring Atlantic cod genetic adaptation climate change Baltic Sea |
| title | Ecological adaptation in cod and herring and possible consequences of future climate change in the Baltic Sea |
| title_full | Ecological adaptation in cod and herring and possible consequences of future climate change in the Baltic Sea |
| title_fullStr | Ecological adaptation in cod and herring and possible consequences of future climate change in the Baltic Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecological adaptation in cod and herring and possible consequences of future climate change in the Baltic Sea |
| title_short | Ecological adaptation in cod and herring and possible consequences of future climate change in the Baltic Sea |
| title_sort | ecological adaptation in cod and herring and possible consequences of future climate change in the baltic sea |
| topic | Atlantic herring Atlantic cod genetic adaptation climate change Baltic Sea |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1101855/full |
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