How Eelgrass Spread Around the World
Scientists traced the colonization history of eelgrass using nuclear and chloroplast genomes from 200 individuals across 16 locations. They found that eelgrass, a key species for carbon storage and biodiversity in the ocean, crossed the Pacific in two colonization events and reached the Atlantic about 243 thousand years ago.An international research team led by GEOMAR reconstructs the worldwide colonization history of the most widespread marine plant.Seagrasses evolved from freshwater plants and use sunlight and carbon…