Genomic insights into the heteroplasmy in the invasive species, Hydroides elegans

ongoing

Hydroides elegans is a significant biofouling invasive species in tropical and subtropical seas, causing damages to man-made structures in harbors and incurring economic costs. Despite its importance, the taxonomy and evolution of this organism remain poorly understood, hindering conservation efforts and predictions of its future distribution. Recent phylogenetic reconstructions suggest two cryptic species, with one showing higher invasiveness. Additionally, H. elegans exhibits heteroplasmy, with more than one mtDNA type observed due to paternal leakage-driven genomic introgression. PolyGene aims to provide novel insights into this widespread species from genomic, morphologic and ecologic perspectives. The project's objectives are threefold: (1) Investigating the origin, maintenance, and evolution of heteroplasmy in H. elegans; (2) Conducting an integrative taxonomic revision to understand population dynamics and hybridization events; (3) Modeling the species' distribution and climate adaptation potential. PolyGene represents a pioneering integrative study focusing on heteroplasmy in Annelida that will utilize large-scale genomic data, morphologic data and distribution modeling, to bring a significant step forward in our understanding of mitochondrial evolution and a scientific-based approach for effective management of an important marine invasive species. The project fosters collaboration between three research groups at the Natural History Museum of Oslo (NHMO) and a secondment to the Senckenberg Research Institute (SGN), nurturing my growth as an independent researcher in evolutionary biology of marine organisms. The project allows me to gain and deepen scientific expertise and transferable skills, needed to pursue a career either in academia or in policy-making.