Global Expansion: The Remarkable Journey of Eelgrass

Scientists have traced the colonization history of eelgrass, a key species for carbon storage and biodiversity in the ocean, using nuclear and chloroplast genomes. They found that eelgrass crossed the Pacific in two colonization events and reached the Atlantic about 243 thousand years ago. The loss of seagrass beds, including eelgrass, is a serious concern. The study raises questions about how well eelgrass will adapt to climate change and other environmental stressors based on its genetic capacity. Restoring genetic diversity from Pacific eelgrass to fortify diversity in the Atlantic may be a potential solution.