Combining genomics and phenotyping to match suited mangrove propagules to restoration sites in the Bahamas, maximizing blue carbon and climate resilience.
Mangroves in the Caribbean
Team & Partners: Dr. Craig Dahlgren & Johanna Prussmann (Perry Institute for Marine Science) & Dr. Jennifer Rowntree, Dr. Thomas Hughes, & Tess Masselink (University of Plymouth), Bahamas Mangrove Alliance, Waterkeepers Bahamas, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, Friends of the Environment, the Cape Eleuthera Institute, Bahamas Forestry Unit, Bahamas National Trust
Challenge: The genetic basis of mangrove adaptation to salinity and stressors remains largely unknown, leaving restoration practitioners without the tools to predict which trees will thrive where.
Approach: Combine field phenotyping, common garden experiments, SNP genotyping, and RNA-seq to uncover how genetics and environment interact to shape red mangrove growth and stress tolerance, and use insights to match propagules to restoration sites.
Anticipated outcomes: Genotype-environment matching guidelines, population structure across the Bahamas, and identified salinity stress response mechanisms to improve restoration success at scale.
