A group of researchers from NYU Abu Dhabi's (NYUAD) Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB) have published new findings on a high-resolution genome for the gray mangrove (Avicennia Marina) in the journal titled, 'G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics'.
The gray mangrove tree is a common tree that can be found around the coast of the UAE. The tree helps in protecting coastlines from erosion and storm surges and is being researched all over the world to control climate change.
John Burt, Associate Professor of Biology at NYUAD and project lead said, "The gray mangrove is the most widely distributed mangrove species in the world, and it is the only natural evergreen forest here in Abu Dhabi and across the Arabian Peninsula. This is the first highly detailed reconstruction of the genome for this mangrove, a species that is incredibly important both locally and across the tropics."
He also added, "The UAE actually represents a uniquely challenging environment, with extremely hot summers, very cold winters, and very salty seawater that is challenging for mangroves, by combining our genomic analyses with monitoring of the molecular and biochemical responses of Abu Dhabi’s mangroves over time, we will show how our local mangroves have been able to cope and even thrive in conditions that are found nowhere else in the world."
The goal of the research was to understand the biology behind the gray mangrove tree and to also provide a resource that can be used scientists around the globe.