Research projects

Below is a list of my main research interests featuring past and current research projects. Feel free to contact me if you have questions on my previous work or want to discuss opportunities for collaboration, Master's, PhD or PostDoc positions.

Genomic monitoring

Genomic approaches are an integral part of many monitoring programmes. The new Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD; www.cbd.int) includes a monitoring framework with a Headline indicator for genetic diversity focusing on effective population size (Ne) and Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) that include genome-wide diversity, inbreeding and gene flow, which are becoming increasingly important to monitor trends of genetic diversity.

Such indicators are particularly useful for heavily harvested species like moose (Dussex et al. 2023, Comm. Biol.), recovering predators like brown bear in Sweden or endangered species such as harbour porpoise or seals in the Baltic Sea.

See also our ongoing Ringed Seal monitoring project.

Genomics of small populations

Genome erosion (i.e., loss of genome-wide diversity, increase in genetic load, maladaptation, genetic introgression after hybridisation) is an important threat to small populations (Dussex et al. 2023, TREE). Understanding the dynamics of load and the distribution of deleterious mutations during population size decline and recovery is thus of crucial importance in conservation programmes.

Temporal (Dussex et al. 2021, Cell Genomics) or comparative (Dussex et al. 2023, iScience) approaches as well as genome-informed simulations (e.g., SLiM) provide a great opportunity to evaluate changes in genetic load during population fluctuations (i.e., declines, founder effects, rapid recovery). Furthermore, contrasting the dynamics of load in species ranging from 'Critically endangered' (e.g., kākāpō) to 'Least Concern' (e.g., Swedish moose) generates important knowledge on the effects of demography, ecology and life-history traits on patterns of genome erosion.

Genomics of climate change

Sea warming will profoundly reshape marine ecosystems globally. Numerous species will experience range shifts as populations track ideal conditions and are replaced by other species adapted to warmer waters. However, some species may have enough evolutionary potential to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is characterised by large populations numbering billions of individuals and by high genetic diversity. Moreover, herring have a wide distribution and occupy the contrasting niches of the Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea. While mutations strongly associated with ecological adaptations show striking allele frequency differences among populations and habitats (Han et al. 2020, Elife), we know little about the timing of appearance of these key mutations and the climatic and environmental drivers of such adaptations.

Using a temporal genomics approach relying on historical (i.e., 1400s-1800s) and modern genomes as well as forward simulations, this project offers an unprecedented opportunity to examine the demographic and genomic responses to past environmental changes and predict herring's future response to warming seas. Ultimately, this temporal transect will enable us to predict how herring populations will respond to future environmental changes and provide essential information for future planning of sustainable herring fisheries in the North Atlantic and Baltic seas.