A recent study, supported by the ANERIS project and published in early November last year, sheds more light on the reference genome of Patella rustica Linnaeus, 1758, considered a resource for understanding how intertidal organisms respond to the effects of global warming. The article is titled “ERGA-BGE Chromosome-Level Genome of Patella rustica Linnaeus, 1758: a Resource to Investigate Responses to Global Warming in the intertidal” and was included in the Genome Reports from the Biodiversity Genomics Europe Project collection. 

The findings of this study highlight that Linnaeus, 1758 contributes to improving our predictions about the impact of climate change and the risks it brings for maintaining and protecting marine biodiversity. According to the article, high-quality reference genomes are extremely valuable for biodiversity monitoring, as they provide essential information that guides management decisions and further supports conservation efforts. The female samples of Patella rustica were gathered in Porto, Portugal, and dissected by Rocío Nieto Vilela, a representative of ANERIS from BIOPOLIS. In this particular study, a total of 9 contiguous chromosomal pseudomolecules were assembled, laying the foundation of the genome sequence. In the context of climate change and environmental protection, this research shows that the Patella rustica species contributes to an improvement in predictions of the impact of global warming on marine communities and ecosystems. 

This study has demonstrated that deeper research into adaptive genomic features and their demographic history is crucial for predicting further expansions and assessing the impact of species on local communities and ecosystems.