BaltGene
BaltGene communicates scientific results on genetic biodiversity in the Baltic Sea directly to stakeholders. The webpage presents genetic data on key species, including scientifically based advice for management and conservation of genetic biodiversity.
About BaltGene
BaltGene web pages was produced by research project BONUS BAMBI, running 2014–2017.
Information on the website is based on results from BONUS BAMBI, BONUS+ project BaltGene and Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology CeMEB.
BaltGene web was financed by BONUS and FORMAS.
What is genetic biodiversity?
Pollution, overfishing, and climate change impose severe challenges for the Baltic Sea. A wide pool of genetic diversity can provide possibilities for species to adapt and ensure important ecosystems to function in the future. It is time to make genetic biodiversity be part of Baltic Sea management and conservation.
Genetic diversity is the biological variation that occurs within species. It makes it possible for species to adapt when the environment changes. Genetic diversity is particularly important under rapid environmental change, such as in the Baltic Sea.
More information about genetic biodiversity on this webpage.
There are several reasons why we should consider genetic biodiversity in management and conservation. In the Baltic Sea, facing more rapidly increasing temperatures and faster decreasing salinities than other marine areas over the coming century, genetic diversity will mitigate loss of species.
Human use of the marine environment affects biodiversity on all levels, including the genetic level. Thus, considering the genetics should be part of an informed management.
Based on our studies, we discuss species potential to adapt to new environmental conditions, and highlight threats to the genetic diversity. We also present some advice for informed management of species and Baltic Sea biodiversity.
Maintaining biodiversity is a crucial goal for the Baltic Sea. But it cannot be reached without also protecting the diversity within species – the genetic diversity. Increased awareness and recognition of the role of genetic diversity is therefore needed.
More information about why genetics is important in the Baltic Sea.
Recommendations
Recommendations of Baltic Sea genetic biodiversity
Review on genetics
The review "Baltic Sea genetic biodiversity: Current knowledge relating to conservation management" summarizes knowledge of population genetic patterns in many species.
Publications from BONUS Bambi
2021
Mileca LJM, Jormalainen V, Rugiua L, Pereyra RT, Rothäusler E, Havenhand J & De Wit PR. Double-edged sword of desalination: Decreased growth and increased grazing endanger range-margin Fucus populations. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, November 2021.
2020
Rugiu L, De Wit P, Kostian I & Jormalainen V. Climate change driven hyposalinity as a selective agent in the littoral mesoherbivore Idotea balthica. Marine Environmental Research, November 2020.
Heckwolf MJ, Meyer BS, Häsler R, Höppner MP, Eizaguirre C & Reusch TBH. Two different epigenetic information channels in wild three-spined sticklebacks are involved in salinity adaptation. Science Advance, March 2020.
Rothäusler E, Rugiu L, Tiihonen T & Jormalainen V. It takes two to stay afloat: interplay of morphology and physiological acclimation ensures long-term floating dispersal of the bladderwrack Fucus vesiculosus (Phaeophyceae, Fucales). European Journal of Phycology, February 2020.
Jonsson PR, Moksnes P-O, Corell H, Bonsdorff E, Nilsson Jacobi M. Ecological coherence of Marine Protected Areas: New tools applied to the Baltic Sea network. Aquatic Conservation, January 2020.
Rugiu L, Panova M, Pereyra RT & Jormalainen V. Gene regulatory response to hyposalinity in the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus. BMC Genomics, January 2019.
2019
De Wit P, Jonsson PR, Pereyra RT, Panova M, André C & Johannesson K. Spatial genetic structure in a crustacean herbivore highlights the need for local considerations in Baltic Sea biodiversity management. Evolutionary Applications, December 2019.
Heckwolf MJ, Meyer BS, Häsler R, Höppner MP, Eizaguirre C, Reusch TBH. DNA methylation facilitates local adaptation and adaptive transgenerational plasticity. bioRxiv, May 2019.
Kotta J, Vanhatalo J, Jänes H, Orav-Kotta H, Rugiu L, Jormalainen V, Bobsien I, Viitasalo M, Virtanen E, Nyström Sandman A, Isaeus M, Leidenberger S, Jonsson PR and Johannesson K. Integrating experimental and distribution data to predict future species patterns. Scientific Reports, February 2019.
Rothäusler E, Uebermuth C, Haavisto F & Jormalainen, V. Living on the edge: Gamete release and subsequent fertilisation in Fucus vesiculosus (Phaeophyceae) are weakened by climate change–forced hyposaline conditions. Phycologia, January 2019.
2018
Sandström A, Lundmark C, Andersson K, Johannesson K and Laikre L. Understanding and bridging the conservation genetics gap in marine conservation. Conservation Biology, December 2018.
De Wit P, Yamada K, Panova M, André C & Johannesson K. Diet-dependent gene expression highlights the importance of Cytochrome P450 in detoxification of algal secondary metabolites in a marine isopod. Scientific Reports, November 2018.
Lundmark C, Sandström A, Andersson K and Laikre L. Monitoring the effects of knowledge communication on conservation managers’ perception of genetic biodiversity – A case study from the Baltic Sea. Marine Policy, October 2018.
Rugiu L, Manninen I, Rothäusler E and Jormalainen V. Tolerance to climate change of the clonally reproducing endemic Baltic seaweed, Fucus radicans: is phenotypic plasticity enough? Journal of Phycology, October 2018.
Rothäusler E, Rugiu L and Jormalainen V. Forecast climate change conditions sustain growth and physiology but hamper reproduction in range-margin populations of a foundation rockweed species. Marine Environmental Research, September 2018.
Heckwolf MJ, Meyer BS, Döring T, Eizaguirre C and Reusch TBH. Transgenerational plasticity and selection shape the adaptive potential of sticklebacks to salinity change. Evolutionary Applications, August 2018.
Thorsten B. H. Reusch, Dierking J, Andersson HC, Bonsdorff E, Carstensen J, Casini M, Czajkowski M, Hasler B, Hinsby K, Hyytiäinen K, Johannesson K, Jomaa S, Jormalainen V, Kuosa H, Kurland S, Laikre L, MacKenzie BR, Margonski , Melzner F, Oesterwind D, Ojaveer H, Refsgaard JC, Sandström A, Schwarz G, Tonderski K, Winder M and Zandersen M. The Baltic Sea as a time machine for the future coastal ocean. Science Advances, May 2018.
Jonsson PR, Kotta J, Andersson HC, Herkül K, Virtanen E, Nyström Sandman A and Johannesson K. High climate velocity and population fragmentation may constrain climate-driven range shift of the key habitat former Fucus vesiculosus. Diversity and Distributions, March 2018.
Rugiu L, Manninen I, Rothäusler E and Jormalainen V. Tolerance and potential for adaptation of a Baltic Sea rockweed under predicted climate change conditions. Marine Environmental Research, March 2018.
Wennerström, L, Bekkevold, D and Laikre L. Population genetics of pike. In: Biology and Ecology of Pike, Eds Christian Skov, P Anders Nilsson. Jan 2018.
2017
Johansson D, Pereyra R T, Rafajlović M and Johannesson K. Reciprocal transplants support a plasticity-first scenario during colonisation of a large hyposaline basin by a marine macro alga. BMC Ecology 17:14.
Jonsson PJ, Kotta J, Andersson HC, Herkül K, Virtanen E, Nyström Sandman A and Johannesson K. High climate velocity and population fragmentation may constrain climate-driven range shift of the key habitat former Fucus vesiculosus. Diversity and Distributions 2018; 00:1–14.
Jormalainen V, Danelli M, Gagnon K, Hillebrand H, Rothäusler E, Salminen J-P and Sjöroos J. Genetic variation of a foundation rockweed species affects associated communities. Ecology 98: 2940-2951.
Lundmark C, Andersson K, Sandström A and Laikre L.Effectiveness of short-term knowledge communication on Baltic Sea marine genetic biodiversity to public managers. Regional Environmental Change 17:841-849.
Obregón, C., Lyndon, A. R., Barker, J., Christiansen, H., Godley, B. J., Kurland, S., Piccolo, J. J., Potts, R., Short, R., Tebb, A. and Mariani, S. Valuing and understanding fish populations in the Anthropocene: key questions to address. J Fish Biol. doi:10.1111/jfb.13536.
Olsson F, Laikre L, Hössjer O and Ryman N. GESP: A computer program for modelling genetic effective population size, inbreeding and divergence in substructured populations.Molecular Ecology Resources, 17:1378–1384.
Rafajlović M, Kleinhans D, Gulliksson C, Fries J, Johansson D, Ardehed A, Sundqvist L, Pereyra R, Mehlig B, Jonsson P and Johannesson K. Neutral processes forming large clones during colonisation of new areas. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 30: 1544–1560.
Rothäusler E, Haavisto F, Jormalainen V. Is the future as tasty as the present? Elevated temperature and hyposalinity affect the quality of Fucus (Phaeophyceae, Fucales) as food for the isopod Idotea balthica. Marine Biology 164:7.
Rugiu L, Manninen I, Sjöroos J, Jormalainen V. Variations in tolerance to climate change in a key littoral herbivore. Marine Biology 165:18.
Rugiu L, Manninen I, Rothäusler E, Jormalainen V. Tolerance and potential for adaptation of a Baltic Sea rockweed under predicted climate change conditions. Marine Environmental Research, Vol 134: 76-84.
Wennerström L, Jansson E and Laikre L. Baltic Sea genetic biodiversity: Current knowledge relating to conservation management. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 27:1069–1090.
Wennerström L, Olsson J, Ryman N, Laikre L. Temporally stable, weak genetic structuring in brackish water northern pike (Esox lucius) in the Baltic Sea indicates a contrasting divergence pattern relative to freshwater populations. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 74:562-571.
2016
Hössjer O, Laikre L and Ryman N. Effective sizes and time to migration–drift equilibrium in geographically subdivided populations. Theoretical Population Biology 112:139-156, 2016.
Wennerström L, Olsson J, Ryman N, & Laikre L. Temporally stable, weak genetic structuring in brackish water northern pike (Esox lucius) in the Baltic Sea indicates a contrasting divergence pattern relative to freshwater populations. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2016.
Kotta J, Orav-Kotta H, Jänes H, Hummel H, Arvanitidis C, van Avesaath P, Bachelet G, Benedetti-Cecchi L, Bojanic N, Como S, Coppa S, Coughlan J, Crowe T, Dal Bello M, Degraer S, Juanes de la Pena J A, Fernandes de Matos VK, Espinosa F, Faulwetter S, Frost M, Guinda X, Jankowska E, Jourde J, Kerckhof F, Lavesque N, Leclerc J-C, Magni P, Pavloudi C, Pedrotti ML, Peleg O, Pérez-Ruzafa A, Puente A, Ribeiro P, Rilov G, Rousou M, Ruginis T, Silva T, Simon N, Sousa-Pinto I, Troncoso J, Warzocha J and Weslawski JM. Essence of the patterns of cover and richness of intertidal hard bottom communities: a pan-European study. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2016.
Dal Bello M, Leclerc J-C, Benedetti-Cecchi L, Arvanitidis C, van Avesaath P, Bachelet G, Bojanic N, Como S, Coppa S, Coughlan J, Crowe T, Degraer S, Espinosa F, Faulwetter S, Frost M, Guinda X, Jankowska E, Jourde J, Kerckhof F, Kotta J, Lavesque N, de Lucia GA, Magni P, de Matos V, Orav-Kotta H, Pavloudi C, Pedrotti ML, Peleg O, de la Pena JAJ, Puente A, Ribeiro P, Rigaut-Jalabert F, Rilov G, Rousou M, Rubal M, Ruginis T, Pérez-Ruzafa A, Silva T, Simon N, Sousa-Pinto I, Troncoso J, Warzocha J, Weslawski J.M and Hummel H. Consistent patterns of spatial variability between NE Atlantic and Mediterranean rocky shores. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, pp. 1–9. 2016.
Rothäusler E, Sjöroos J, Heye K and Jormalainen V. Genetic variation in photosynthetic performance and tolerance to osmotic stress (desiccation, freezing, salinity) in the rocky littoral foundation species Fucus vesiculosus (Phaeophyceae, Fucales). Journal of Phycology 2016.
Ardehed A, Johansson D, Sundqvist L, Schagerström E, Zagrodzka Z, Kovaltchouk N A, Bergström L, Kautsky L, Rafajlovic M, Pereyra R T & Johannesson K. Divergence within and among Seaweed Siblings (Fucus vesiculosus and F. radicans) in the Baltic Sea. PLoS ONE 2016.
Sandström A, Lundmark C, Jansson E, Edman M & Laikre L. Assessment of management practices regarding genetic biodiversity in Baltic Sea marine protected areas. Biodiversity and Conservation 2016.
Laikre L, Lundmark C, Jansson E, Wennerström L, Edman M & Sandström, A. Lack of recognition of genetic biodiversity: International policy and its implementation in Baltic Sea marine protected areas. Ambio 2016.
Jormalainen, V, Gagnon, K, Sjöroos, J & Rothäusler, E. 2016. The invasive mud crab enforces a major shift in a rocky littoral invertebrate community of the Baltic Sea. Biological Invasions, Volume 18, Issue 5, pp 1409-1419.
Bodin Ö, Sandström A and Crona B. Collaborative networks for effective ecosystem-based management: A set of working hypotheses. Policy Studies Journal 2016.
Jonsson PR, Nilsson Jacobi M, Moksnes PO. How to select networks of marine protected areas for multiple species with different dispersal strategies. Diversity and Distributions 22, 161–173.
Puente A, Guinda X, Juanes JA, Ramos E, Echavarri-Erasun B, De La Hoz CF, Degraer S, Kerckhof F, Bojanić N, Rousou M, Orav-Kotta H, Kotta J, Jourde J, Pedrotti ML, Leclerc J-C, Simon N, Bachelet G, Lavesque N, Arvanitidis C, Pavloudi C, Faulwetter S, Crowe TP, Coughlan J, Cecchi LB, Dal Bello M, Magni P, Como S, Coppa S, De Lucia GA, Rugins T, Jankowska E, Weslawski JM, Warzocha J, Silva T, Ribeiro P, De Matos V, Sousa-Pinto I, Troncoso J, Peleg O, Rilov G, Espinosa F, Ruzafa AP, Frost M, Hummel H and Van Avesaath P. The role of physical variables in biodiversity patterns of intertidal macroalgae along European coasts. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Vol 97, Issue 3 (European Marine Biology Symposium) pp. 549-560
2015
Ardehed A, Johansson D, Schagerström E, Kautsky L, Johannesson K, Pereyra RT. 2015. Complex spatial clonal structure in the macroalgae Fucus radicans with both sexual and asexual recruitment. Ecology and Evolution 5:4243-4245
Borgström S, Bodin Ö, Sandström A, Crona B. 2015. Developing an analytical framework for assessing progress toward ecosystem-based management. Ambio 44(3): 357-369.
Guban P, Wennerström L, Elfwing T, Sundelin B, Laikre L.Genetic diversity in Monoporeia affinis at polluted and reference sites of the Baltic Bothnian Bay. Marine Pollution Bulletin,(2015)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.01.029
Hössjer O, Olsson F, Laikre L, Ryman N. Metapopulation inbreeding dynamics, effective size and subpopulation differentiation—A general analytical approach for diploid organisms. Theoretical Population Biology, (2015)102: 40–59.
Liversage K, Kotta J. (2015). Disturbance-related patterns on unstable rocky benthos of the eastern Baltic coast. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, 64, 53–61.
Rothäusler E, Corell H, Jormalainen V. Abundance and dispersal trajectories of floating Fucus vesiculosus in the Northern Baltic Sea. Limnology and Oceanography, doi: 10.1002/lno.10195
Sandström A, Bodin Ö & Crona B. 2015. Network Governance from the Top: The Case of Ecosystem-based Coastal and Marine Management. Marine Policy 55:57–63.
2014
Hössjer O, Olsson F, Laikre L, Ryman N. A new general analytical approach for modeling patterns of genetic differentiation and effective size of subdivided populations overtime. Mathematical Biosciences, (2014)258:113-133.
Hössjer O, Ryman N. Quasi equilibrium, variance effective size and fixation index for populations with substructure. Journal of Mathematical Biology, 69:1057-1128.
Ryman N, Allendorf FW, Jorde PE, Laikre L, Hössjer O. 2014. Samples from subdivided populations yield biased estimates of effective size that overestimate the rate of loss of genetic variation. Molecular Ecology Resources, 14: 87-99.
Schagerström, E.; Forslund, H.; Kautsky, L.; Pärnoja, M.; Kotta, J. Does thalli complexity and biomass affect the associated flora and fauna of two co-occurring Fucus species in the Baltic Sea? Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, (2014) 149, 187–193.
Tolerance of Baltic Sea rocky littoral communities to climate change.
Luca Rugiu
2018-06-01
University of Turku, Department of Biology, Section of Ecology
Population genetic patterns in continuous environments in relation to conservation management
Lovisa Wennerström
2016-09-16
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology
Patterns of evolution in a young species, the Baltic seaweed Fucus radicans
Angelica Ardehed
2015-05-22
University of Gothenburg, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
BONUS-BAMBI management recommendations. Improve adaptive potential of Baltic Sea species – include genetic diversity in management. Laikre L., Johannesson K, Sandström A, Edman M, Liljenström S. 2017. Presented at HELCOM workshop November 2017.
Genetisk mångfald - variation som gör skillnad. Johannesson K. & Liljenström S. Havsutsikt 2/2017. (In Swedish)
Gäddan inte alls så stationär som vi trott, press release from Stockholm University, Lovisa Wennerström, Sept 2016. (In Swedish)
Mål för genetisk variation i Östersjön uppfylls inte, press release from Stockholm University, Linda Laikre, April 2016. (In Swedish)
Genetic diversity a low priority, press release from Luleå University of Technology, Annica Sandström & Carina Lundmark, May 2016.
Finding bridges between biodiversity research and exosytem-based managemet. Interactive expert teams take us closer to finding sustainable solutions for the Baltic Sea. Dierking J, Hüssy K, Laikre L. BONUS in Brief December 2015.