James Bazely

Profile

Project Title: Exploring the Impact of Climate Change on Loggerhead Turtles – An Epigenetic Perspective

Summary: Epigenetic regulation is the process whereby the expression of genes can be controlled and modified without any changes being made to the underlying DNA code. This process forms the basis of a characteristic called “phenotypic plasticity”, a response mechanism possessed by some organisms through which they can adapt gene expression based on external environmental conditions. As the effects of climate change escalate, there is a growing urgency to understand how species can adapt to changing habitats, especially those more at risk from global warming. The loggerhead sea turtle is one such species, with rising temperatures threatening to impact multiple aspects of their behaviour and life history. My project will be studying the loggerhead population of Cape Verde, and specifically how epigenetic regulation could be both harming and helping their long-term survival in a changing environment.

My project will first aim to evaluate the relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression in loggerheads. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism where gene expression is controlled through the addition of methyl groups to targeted regions of the genome. It is essential we understand when, and to what extent, DNA methylation is mediating a plastic phenotypic response in loggerhead sea turtles. Once we have a better understanding of this process, I will then use next-generation sequencing methods alongside machine learning to identify epigenetic markers of key life history traits within loggerhead sea turtles. These tools have the potential to revolutionise conservation and enable rapid and targeted decision making. The hope is that this work will help conservation efforts maintain pace with the growing climate crisis.

Supervisor:

• Prof Christophe Eizaguirre

Research