Phytoplankton are tiny, photosynthetic organisms forming the foundation of marine food webs. Their oceanic habitat is rapidly changing due to human-induced impacts, with global warming being one of the most critical threats. Rising temperatures and increasing fluctuations are already reshaping phytoplankton communities worldwide, affecting entire marine ecosystems. Phytoplankton, with their large population sizes and rapid generation times of about one division per day, offer a unique opportunity to study evolutionary adaptation in real time. While previous studies have focused on controlled laboratory experiments that exclude biological interactions, my research takes a more realistic approach by investigating adaptation in natural populations. To accurately predict future responses to climate change, it is essential to understand how evolutionary change is already shaping natural communities today. By using Baffin Bay (Arctic) and the European Seas as natural laboratories, this project will provide valuable insights into phytoplankton adaptation across different spatial and temporal scales, which will deepen our understanding of how marine ecosystems respond to rapid environmental shifts. This continuation grant will allow me to make the best use of the unique samples collected, which were substantially co-financed by EMBL, LEX-NG, and Sakari Alhopuro. The initial funding from Sakari Alhopuro was crucial for launching the project and streamlining experimental setups, but delays in the delivery and dating of sediment cores by project partners prevented me from establishing performance curves. Now that everything is in place and half of the required cultures are already established, I can begin analyzing the samples immediately, providing fast insights into how primary producers respond to global change.

2025

2026