Assisted Evolution

Assisted evolution in seagrasses focuses on enhancing their resilience and survivability under increasing environmental stressors. This research line explores various approaches, primarily stress priming techniques such as thermo-priming, applied to both seedlings and adult marine plants. In addition to thermal stress priming, approaches also include the use of positive biostimulant priming under controlled experimental conditions. To evaluate the effectiveness of these priming strategies, a multilevel assessment framework is employed. This includes photo-physiological measurements to monitor plant performance, as well as transcriptomic analysis to identify gene expression changes. Epigenetic studies and metabolic profiling are also conducted to uncover underlying epigenetic and biochemical shifts associated with induced stress memory. Together, these integrated methodologies aim to deepen our understanding of how seagrasses can be “trained” to better cope with climate change and other environmental pressures, ultimately supporting more successful and sustainable restoration efforts.