The role of epigenetic mechanisms (e.g., DNA methylation, changes in chromatin structure, and small RNAs) in an ecological and environmental context has become increasingly studied in a variety of non-model metazoans. In marine molecular ecology, epigenetic mechanisms have been examined in the context of adaptation, in response to abiotic stress, in transgenerational plasticity, and, generally as a means by which the environment might alter gene expression.
For this proposed OSM session, we plan to highlight emerging insight and new discoveries in epigenetics in marine metazoans. The session will include data from a diversity of marine habitats (e.g., studies in coral reefs and kelp forest environments), along with studies focused on anthropogenic activities such as aquaculture, invasion biology, and the impacts of toxicants such as microplastics in the marine environment (e.g., biomonitoring tool development and application).
Overall, although the session addresses a specific area of marine molecular ecology, the importance of epigenetics in a range of environmental settings, from coral bleaching events to marine heat waves, renders this session of general interest to the OSM community, and additionally, would engage an international audience, given the broad scientific interest in epigenetics and its application in marine systems.
Primary Chair: Gretchen Hofmann, University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
Co-chairs: Hollie Putnam, University of Rhode Island, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, Kingston, RI, United States, Steven Roberts, University of Washington Seattle Campus, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Seattle, WA, United States and Jose Maria Eirin-Lopez, Florida International University, Department of Biological Sciences, Miami, FL, United States
Primary Liaison: Gretchen Hofmann, University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
Moderators: Gretchen Hofmann, University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara, CA, United States and Hollie Putnam, University of Rhode Island, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, Kingston, RI, United States
Student Paper Review Liaison: Jose Maria Eirin-Lopez, Florida International University, Department of Biological Sciences, Miami, FL, United States
DNA Methylation Associated Gene Expression and Calcification Responses to Ocean Acidification in the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) (656952)
Alan Downey-Wall1, Louise Cameron2, Yaamini Venkataraman3, Justin B Ries4, Steven B Roberts5 and Katie Lotterhos1, (1)Northeastern University, Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Boston, United States, (2)Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States, (3)University of Washington Seattle Campus, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Seattle, WA, United States, (4)Northeastern University, Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Nahant, MA, United States, (5)University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Seattle, WA, United States
Endocrine disruptors cause multigenerational and transgenerational epigenetic changes in fish exposed during early life (652826)
Kaley Major1, Bethany Michele DeCourten2, Joshua Forbes3, Alvina Mehinto4, Jie Li5, Matt Settles5, Richard Connon6 and Susanne M Brander7, (1)Oregon State University, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Corvallis, OR, United States, (2)University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States, (3)University of North Carolina at Wilmington, United States, (4)Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, United States, (5)University of California Davis, United States, (6)University of California, Davis, Veterinary Medicine: Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology, Davis, CA, United States, (7)Oregon State University, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Corvallis, United States
Examining the role of DNA methylation in transcriptomic plasticity of early stage sea urchins (648361)
Marie Strader1,2, Logan Kozal3, Terence S Leach4, Juliet M Wong5, Jannine D Chamorro6, Madeline J Housh6 and Gretchen Hofmann3, (1)United States, (2)Auburn University, Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn, United States, (3)University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara, CA, United States, (4)Univeristy of California Santa Barbara, Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara, CA, United States, (5)University of California Santa Barbara, Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara, CA, United States, (6)University of California Santa Barbara, Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
Seasonal variation on DNA methylation patterns in the staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis in Culebra Island, PR. (639299)
Javier Rodriguez Casariego, Florida International University, Department of Biological Sciences, North Miami, FL, United States, Ivanna Ortiz, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Environmental Sciences, San Juan, PR, United States, Alex E. Mercado-Molina, Universidad Ana G. Méndez, United States, Alberto M Sabat, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, PR, United States, Iliana B Baums, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus, Biology, University Park, PA, United States and Jose Maria Eirin-Lopez, Florida International University, Department of Biological Sciences, Miami, FL, United States
