Environmental Epigenomics and Its Applications in Marine Organisms

Abstract

Although epigenetics is still a relatively new discipline, its development during the last 10 years has revolutionized the current understanding of genome structure and function. The present chapter provides an insight on the exciting field of environmental epigenetics (i.e., the cause effect relationships between environmental signals and epigenetic modifications altering phenotypes) and its potential applications for different types of studies in the marine environment. On the first part, this work focuses on defining epigenetics, the different mechanisms involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression, as well as their potential role during the evolution of life on earth. On its second part, this chapter moves into the potential applications of epigenetics in marine organisms, using current research projects on model species ranging from marine invertebrates to large marine megafauna as references. Overall, the present contribution underscores the importance of environmental epigenetic studies in marine organisms to better understand how organisms respond to their surrounding environment, fostering the development of a new generation of biomarkers enhancing restoration, conservation and management efforts.