ADC for Neurobiology in Changing Environments

The nervous system acts as the sensory interface between an animal and its environment, and allows it to tune its bodily functions, find food and suitable places to live, interact with mates, and avoid predators. Alarmingly, the neurobiology of marine animals is threatened by human activities that are introducing rapid environmental changes, with potential cascading effects on populations, ecosystems and society. The Allen Discovery Center (ADC) for Neurobiology in Changing Environments (ADC-NiCE) leads a wave of transformational research to characterize the neurobiology of four diverse species of coral, snail, sea urchin, and fish and their short- and long-term responses to ocean warming, decreased oxygen levels (hypoxia), and increased carbon dioxide levels (acidification). ADC-NiCE's transdisciplinary approach combines cutting-edge genomic approaches with physiological, behavioral and field experiments, aiming to identify mechanisms that confer neurobiological resilience or vulnerability to naturally and human-induced changing environments. The focus on four biodiverse species has the potential to unveil neurobiological principles that broadly apply to marine organisms.

The ultimate goal of ADC-NiCE is to guide policy making, conservation and restoration decisions and enable active interventional strategies. Additionally, ADC-NiCE leads extensive scientific training, tool and data sharing activities to catalyze cutting-edge research bridging neurobiology and environmental science throughout the world. The impact of ADC-NiCE is further amplified through an extensive educational program that introduces the general public to the mind-blowing field of marine neurobiology.