Benedikt Schrofner-Brunner1
1University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Hybridisation between closely related species is an extensively studied subject in evolutionary biology. Yet, the ecological implications of hybridisation and how it depends on environmental context are understudied. The intertidal zone of the Swedish west coast hosts two key foundational seaweed species, Fucus spiralis and Fucus vesiculosus, which are important for habitat provision and ecosystem functioning. These species exhibit distinct zonation, with F. spiralis dominating the most shallow environment and F. vesiculosus occupying the zone just below. Field sampling along the depth gradient revealed a common intermediate morphotype thriving between the distribution of the two fucoid species, confirmed through genetic sequencing as a hybrid. The hybrid’s persistence likely depends on seasonal regeneration from the two parent species. Our study sheds new light on how biodiversity and hybridisation can be critical for sustaining ecosystem functioning across steep environmental gradients. A decline in the abundance of either parental lineage could not only compromise hybrid viability but also have detrimental effects on habitat provision and ecological processes facilitated by the two seaweed species and their hybrid. Better knowledge about hybridisation as both an ecological and evolutionary interaction is essential for our understanding of the functional consequences of altered biodiversity in a changing world.
Biography
Benedikt Schrofner-Brunner, a PhD student at the University of Gothenburg, studies biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in coastal environments, focusing on large spatial scales with increased environmental heterogeneity. He specialises in foundational species like seaweeds, examining their adaptations and interactions across environmental gradients. His work integrates field experiments, genetic analyses, and modelling to explore the impacts of global change on marine ecosystems.