- 1Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique , CNRS Biologie, Paris, France
- 2Institut Francçois Jacob, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Evry, France
- 3Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
The rapid advancements in genome sequencing technologies over the past two decades have unlocked unprecedented opportunities to understand and protect life in all its diversity. Genomes largely control biological development, physiology and the production of essential biomolecules, but they also connect all species within the tree of life. Genomes are invaluable tools for monitoring genetic diversity, providing insights into the resilience of populations and species facing environmental changes.
The ATLASea program (https://www.atlasea.fr) is dedicated to decoding this immense wealth of genomic information by conducting extensive sampling campaigns across the French Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to collect specimens of eukaryotic marine species, sequence their genomes to high-quality standards, and make the data publicly available to the scientific community for research and analysis. Funded by the French government for an eight-year period, ATLASea has been already active for 18 months. During this time, the program has established key protocols, developed an informatics infrastructure, and forged international collaborations, including affiliations with the Ocean Decade Initiative and the Earth BioGenome Project. Genomes from diverse taxonomic groups have already been sequenced, with throughput progressively scaling up. Sampling efforts have spanned six locations on the coasts of metropolitan France, as well as sites in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean, covering over 1,000 species.
Ultimately, ATLASea aims to sequence the genomes of several thousand species, focusing on those of ecological and scientific importance, economic value, and cultural significance. ATLASea is also committed to training the next generation of scientists. Summer and winter schools, scheduled for 2025 and 2026, will welcome international participants, providing PhD students and early-career researchers with training in sampling and taxonomic identification, genome sequencing and assembly, genome annotation, and comparative and evolutionary genomics. Additionally, ATLASea will support private-public partnerships, driving innovation through workshops, funding opportunities, and collaborations with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that could benefit from advances in marine genomics.
The oceans, home to millions of species threatened by human activity and climate change, harbor essential species that support the planet’s most efficient carbon pump, hold vast potential to feed a growing global population, and offer countless biological innovations shaped through evolution. Studying and monitoring ocean biodiversity must remain central to international efforts to deepen our understanding, preservation and sustainable use of the oceans.
How to cite: Roest Crollius, H., Aury, J.-M., Corre, E., Le Gall, L., and Wincker, P.: ATLASea: reference genomes to understand and monitor marine biodiversity worldwide, One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3–6 Jun 2025, OOS2025-992, https://doi.org/10.5194/oos2025-992, 2025.