Identifying and introducing climate resilience traits in Australian kelp, securing the future of kelp forests under accelerating ocean warming.
Team & Collaborators: Drs. Hugh Goold, Melinda Coleman, Dave Wheeler, Deborah Hailstones (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development), Dr. Kyle Lauersen (KAUST), Dr. Sheree Yau (Sorbonne/Banyuls sur Mer Oceanographic Observatory), Flinders University, South Australian Research and Development Institute, National Laboratory of the Rockies
Challenge: Climate change is pushing kelp forests beyond their adaptive limits, underscoring the urgent need for transformative solutions.
Approach: Use genome-wide deletion libraries in compact microalgal models to experimentally identify genes controlling climate tolerance, then translate validated resilience genes into golden kelp (Ecklonia radiata) via pioneering CRISPR/Cas9 approaches, with findings integrated into the Reef Adapt decision-support platform for immediate practitioner use.
Anticipated outcomes: Experimentally validated genetic determinants of climate resilience, functional CRISPR tools for kelp genome editing, and decision-support resources for climate-smart restoration.
