Towards a global view of algal molecular ecology
The application of DNA sequencing to environmental samples, ranging from molecular barcodes to holistic meta-genomic and meta-transcriptomic datasets, has revolutionised our view of the diversity, structure and function of algal communities in the wild. Molecular-led approaches may be of particular use for understanding the diversity of uncultured and uncultivable algae, expanding our understanding of understudied oceanic, freshwater and terrestrial algal ecosystems, and monitoring algal ecosystem responses to physical, biological and anthropogenic disturbance.
The application of molecular ecology in mass sampling projects, both community-led such as Ocean Sampling Day, and planet-wide expeditions such as Tara Oceans, Bio-GO-SHIP and the GEOTRACES Missions, can allow us to translate individual questions concerning the biology of specific algal groups up to a global scale, and even reveal undiscovered features of the physical structure of aquatic environments. Building a truly global vision of algal ecosystems is fundamental to understanding algal community composition, function and resilience; and provides an unprecedented opportunity for trans-national and citizen engagement in phycology.
This special edition seeks to unify, we welcome primary analyses and reviews of algal sequence diversity in environmental samples. Topics covered include but are not limited to:
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Molecular barcoding of environmental samples
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Understudied algal ecosystems
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Population genetics
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Species diversity and abundance
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Bio-geography and invasive species
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Meta-genomics and meta-transcriptomics
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Quantitative analyses of environmental sequence data
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Environmentally-informed phylogenetics, biochemistry and physiology
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Applied ecology, environmental change and conservation
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Global and community-led environmental sampling initiatives
Edited by
Dr. Richard G. Dorrell(IBENS Paris)
Dr. Flora Vincent(EMBL)
Dr. Deo Florence L. Onda(Marine Science Institute, Univ. Philippines)