Stress Response

This research line focuses on the physiological and molecular responses of marine macrophytes to key local and global stressors, including increased seawater temperature, nutrient enrichment, and changes in light quality. Responses are studied using multifactorial experimental designs in both controlled mesocosm systems and field settings. These approaches aim to disentangle the interactive effects of multiple stressors on plant performance.

Response evaluation is based on an integrated framework, combining phenotypic characterization (e.g., growth, morphology, and ecophysiological traits) with molecular-level analyses. These include gene expression profiling (RNA-Seq, RT-qPCR) to assess stress-regulated transcriptional responses, and epigenetic analyses, primarily focusing on DNA methylation, to investigate stress-induced regulatory changes at the genome level.