The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

2027 Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

January 12-15, 2027

Adaptation evolution of a harmful algal bloom-causing dinoflagellate Prorocentrum obtusidens under a future ocean scenario
ID:1489 Oral Presentation

2027-01-12 10:55 (China Standard Time)

Session:Session 29 - Marine Algae: Genetics, evolution and synthetic biology

Abstract
Predicting the response of dinoflagellates to climate change is hampered by the lack of studies on adaptive evolution over long timescales, particularly to combined multiple concurrent stressors. Here, we examine the capacity of a harmful algal bloom-causing dinoflagellate, Prorocentrum obtusidens, to evolve in response to the individual and combined effects of elevated temperature (26°C vs. 22°C), increased pCO2 (1000 μatm vs. 400 μatm), and high nitrogen: phosphorus ratios (180:1 vs. 40:1) through a 300-day selection experiment. We show that P. obtusidens is capable of adapting to the ongoing marine environmental changes. Elevated temperature remained the dominant driver of physiological changes, with those-selected populations exhibiting higher growth rates and maximum photosynthetic efficiency. Particulate organic carbon and nitrogen production decreased in the early stages and recovered in the late stages, owing to adaptive evolution. Nevertheless, particulate organic phosphorus production continued to decrease, whereas C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios all increased. When all long term-adapted populations were transferred back to ancestral conditions, nearly all traits shifted in the opposite direction, indicating that P. obtusidens retained its initial plasticity. Transcriptomic analysis revealed molecular evidence of adaptation to increased pCO2, elevated temperature, high N:P ratio, and their combined effects. However, the core gene expression was not reversed when adapted populations were moved back to the control environment, suggesting that P. obtusidens underwent genetic differentiation, enabling it to adapt to future ocean environment changes over longer timescales. Our results provide new insights into the evolutionary responses of dinoflagellates to multiple environmental changes in the context of global change and shed new light on the molecular basis underlying interactions among those multiple drivers.
Speaker
Weiping Zhang Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou)

Author
Weiping Zhang Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou)

    Important Dates

    • Jan 30

      2026

      Session / Event proposals open

    • Mar 31

      2026

      Session / Event proposals close
      (Extended to April 7)

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Session acceptance notifications

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions & registration open

    • Jun 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions close
      (Extended to July 21)

    • Aug 31

      2026

      Abstract acceptance notifications

    • Sep 15

      2026

      Scientific program released

    • Oct 15

      2026

      Early bird registration closes

    • Jan 12–15

      2027

      XMAS 2027