Marine Omics in a Changing Ocean: Modelling Molecular Pathways and Networks to Understand Species Acclimation and Adaptation

Book excerpt: Global climate change is a major threat to marine biodiversity worldwide. Average changes in ocean temperature, pH, and oxygenation are re-shaping marine communities, with significant impacts on the critical services that marine ecosystems provide to mankind. As global climate change continues, the frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme weather events are also predicted to increase, with fast and far-reaching consequences on marine species, including mass mortality and disruption of ecological processes. As a result, millions of ocean-dependent livelihoods and jobs are also at risk, with consequent economic impacts. Given the current climate and biodiversity crisis, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has emphasized the relevance of (1) increasing knowledge and protection of biodiversity and (2) assessing species climate-driven extinction risks. To achieve these goals, we need to understand organism-environment-ecology-evolution interactions at various levels of the biological hierarchy, from molecules to ecosystems. However, we are still lacking a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms shaping phenotypic landscapes in the natural environment, and under different global change scenarios. To address such challenges, a new strategic program was also launched by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), “Molecules to Ecosystems”, to study life in context, and provide new research avenues in molecular life sciences. In this context, the emerging disciplines of Marine Omics and Marine Systems Biology will be key to supporting innovative solutions in marine ecosystem conservation and blue bioeconomy (for example uncover molecular traits underlying sensitivity/tolerance to environmental change, supporting assisted evolution approaches; molecular targets that can be used for diagnostics, monitoring and development of biotechnological applications).