Evolutionary consequences of global warming on molluscan communities

The impact of global warming goes far beyond melting ice. Entire ecosystems could potentially be altered, and the living things making up these environments will have no other choice but to adapt. The method implemented by Dr. Elodie Chapuis aims to assess these changes over the short term. “My work is based on community genetics, a new discipline that examines the evolutionary processes that occur among interacting populations,” she explained. Applied to freshwater snails in Guadeloupe, her work will be used to develop new strategies for protecting natural habitats affected by drought and hurricanes in tropical areas through better management of the interaction between native and invasive species.