Lena Bergström / University of Goth
The researchers initially thought that it was a unique species, but the rainforest in Botnia’s Gulf is, after all, a giant clone.
Scientists have discovered a seaweed seaweed clone At the bottom of the Baltic Sea that may be the largest clone in the world, which has important implications for marine conservation in the context of climate change.
O, published in the magazine molecular Ecology, reveals that seaweed forests in the Gulf of Botnia, between Sweden and Finland, It is not the unique species that was thoughtbut a colossal clone of Drone bladder.
The initial objective of the study was to analyze the DNA of what was thought to be the fucus radicansa predominant species in the region. However, the genetic analyzes conducted by Ricardo Pereyra showed that the fucus radicans It was actually a vast female clone and Drone bladder.
The clone extends by more than 550 kilometers From the coast of the Gulf of Botnia, spreading as the ocean currents carry fragments of the original female to new areas where they grow and become genetically identical individuals, explains the.
“This clone comprises millions of individuals and, in some areas, is completely dominant,” explained Pereyra. “It is by far the largest clone – A real super female. ”
Other candidates for the world’s highest clone include an 180 -kilometer marine clone in Shark Bay, Australia, and Pando, a vast choupos clone in the Fishlake National Forest in Utah. However, the Baltic Sea Clone may exceed them to all in dimension.
In addition to its dimension, the discovery causes significant ecological concerns. The waters of the Baltic Sea is expected to be warmer and less salty due to climate changewhich represents a threat to marine species.
According to the main author Kerstin Johannesson, Professor of Marine Ecology, lack of genetic variation From a clone makes it difficult to adapt to environmental changes, endangering the survival of dependent species such as fish, snails and crustaceans.
“A clone lacks almost completely from genetic variation that otherwise means that there are individuals in a population that can deal with changes and make the species survive,” said Johannesson.
