As urban centers continue to grow, so too does the research that investigates how urbanization influences evolution. However, urban marine ecosystems are often overlooked. Interestingly, population density along coastlines is 3-times higher than the global average but research in urban marine systems is more than 3-times lower than research inland.
Researchers identified the main drivers of marine urbanization (Figure 1 from Todd et al, 2019). These three drivers (ocean sprawl, resource exploitation, and pollution pathways) present new challenges to marine organisms. Urban stressors have been attributed to the loss of foundation species. Similar to land habitats, urbanization changes biodiversity, with native species loss and invasive species introductions.
Perhaps the most studied of these drivers is the pollution pathways as industrial pollution can be a strong agent of selection. McKenzie et al. (2011), found that copper tolerance was heritable in the bryozoan Watersipoa subtorquata. Galletly et al. (2007), also found copper tolerance through the hatching success of the ascidian Styela plicata. Whitehead et al (2017), found repeated adaptation to PCB contaminated waters in the Atlantic killifish Fundulus heteroclitus. Similarly, Oziolor et al (2019) found that Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, also adapted to PCB contaminated waters, likely as a result of introgressed alleles from the Atlantic killifish.
As urbanization continues to grow and disrupt marine ecosystems, there is a need for additional research in evolutionary consequences within these marine ecosystems.
References
Galletly, B. C. et al. 2007. Genetic mechanisms of pollution resistance in a marine invertebrate. – Ecol. Appl. 17: 2290–2297.
McKenzie, L. A. et al. 2011. Heritable pollution tolerance in a marine invader. – Environ. Res. 111: 926–932.
Oziolor, E. M. et al. 2019. Adaptive introgression enables evolutionary rescue from extreme environmental pollution. – Science 364: 455-457.
Todd, P.A. et al. 2019. Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns, and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities. – Oikos 128: 1215-1242.
Whitehead, A. et al. 2017. When evolution is the solution to pollution: Key principles and lessons from rapid repeated adaptation of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) populations.- Evol. Appl. 10(8): 762-783.
I am interested in urban ecology and evolution. Urbanization can have drastic impacts on local ecosystems, both negative and positive, and creates a new environment for organisms to experience. To understand the impacts that urbanization plays on organisms, I look through the lense of population genetics and molecular evolution.
- Urban Observation of the Week: Golden Jackal - July 28, 2021
- Urban Observation of the Week: Bellflowers in Munich - July 21, 2021
- Urban Observation of the Week: So Many Plants - July 14, 2021
Leave a Reply