RESUMEN
Climate change and human activity are essential factors affecting marine biodiversity and aquaculture, and understanding the impacts of human activities on the genetic structure to increasing high temperatures is crucial for sustainable aquaculture and marine biodiversity conservation. As a commercially important bivalve, the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is widely distributed along the coast of China, and it has been frequently introduced from Fujian Province, China, to other regions for aquaculture. In this study, we collected four populations of Manila clams from different areas to evaluate their thermal tolerance by measuring cardiac performance and genetic variations using whole-genome resequencing. The upper thermal limits of the clams showed high variations within and among populations. Different populations displayed divergent genetic compositions, and the admixed population was partly derived from the Zhangzhou population in Fujian Province, implying a complex genomic landscape under the influence of local genetic sources and human introductions. Multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with the cardiac functional traits, and some of these SNPs can affect the codon usage and the structural stability of the resulting protein. This study shed light on the importance of establishing long-term ecological and genetic monitoring programs at the local level to enhance resilience to future climate change.
