Year: 2011
Type: review
Abstract: The marine ecosystem is governed by a multitude of environmental cycles, all of which are linked to the periodical recurrence of the sun or the moon. In accordance with these cycles, marine species exhibit a variety of biological rhythms, ranging from circadian and circatidal rhythms to circalunar and seasonal rhythms. However, our current molecular understanding of biological rhythms and clocks is largely restricted to solar-controlled circadian and seasonal rhythms in land model species. Here, we discuss the first molecular data emerging for circalunar and circatidal rhythms and present selected species suitable for further molecular analyses. We argue that a re-focus on marine species will be crucial to understand the principles, interactions and evolution of rhythms that govern a broad range of eukaryotes, including ourselves.
Source: BioEssays
Institutions: University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: Austrian Science Fund
Award: G5539235600
OpenAlex ID: W2071222534