Enhancing research capacity on Cape Cod for studies of coastal ecosystems that are at risk from climate change and other human impacts

The effects of climate change and other human impacts can be challenging to assess, especially for long‐lived, cryptic species. The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS, www.coastalstudies.org) has studied threatened and endangered species and vulnerable coastal ecosystems for more than four decades. This project establishes a molecular genetic/omics laboratory to enhance multidecadal, inter‐disciplinary and collaborative biological research.

A dedicated lab on Cape Cod will facilitate the study of coastal and marine species, with particular support for long‐term cetacean research, including studies of human impacts by providing forensic data, insights into genetic diversity and fitness, and the evolutionary context for modern population responses. The lab will serve the extensive regional scientific community, provide hands‐on opportunities for students and support the needs of management agencies.

Public outreach has the potential to reach 20,000 adults and children each year through CCS outreach and education programs.

The molecular genetics lab is an expansion of the CCS Integrated Analytical Laboratory in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and would be equipped for genetic and genomic assays, such as “genotype‐by‐sequencing” and whole genome sequencing, as well as in‐house bioinformatics and data analysis. The lab further benefits from a partnership with the Marine Evolution and Conservation Lab at the University of Groningen, a well‐established laboratory and the primary repository for genetic samples of North Atlantic whale species.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.