Marine Environmental Epigenetics

Marine organisms’ persistence hinges on the capacity for acclimatization and adaptation to the myriad of interacting environmental stressors associated with global climate change. In this context, epigenetics—mechanisms that facilitate phenotypic variation through genotype–environment interactions—are of great interest ecologically and evolutionarily. Emerging insights in marine environmental epigenetics can be applied to critical issues such as aquaculture, biomonitoring, and biological invasions, thereby improving our ability to explain and predict the responses of marine taxa to global climate change. The proposed Research Topic aims to attract cutting-edge research from investigators working on environmental epigenetics across different levels (from molecules to ecosystems), and using diverse model systems (especially ecologically and environmentally relevant species). The ultimate goal is to provide a timely insight into the potential of this approach to revolutionize our understanding of ecological and evolutionary dynamics at a critical climate change juncture, in an invaluable marine setting.