Epigenetic inheritance - the transmission from parent to offspring of non-DNA factors that affect gene expression - represents a potential mechanism of short-term adaptation to rapid environmental change with long-term evolutionary consequences. However, its dynamics are only just beginning to be understood: when and how does it occur, what aspects of the environment can species respond to and predict, and under which circumstances is it adaptive or maladaptive? We use response to temperature variation in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) as a model system to investigate whether and how parental experience of variation and extreme events (marine heatwaves) can affect offspring fitness - examining growth, survival, morphology, and differences in DNA methylation and gene expression to provide a holistic view of individual and transgenerational response to environmental (temperature) variation in this system.

Helen conducted a really cool experiment looking at how stickleback respond to marine heatwaves - not just one, but two compound events - experienced within their lifetime. This was to test whether thermal hardening or epigenetic memory of a stressful (first heatwave) event can help to mediate the effects of a second heatwave. Basically, do they remember? Of course, we also investigated this at the transgenerational level by exposing both parents and offspring to either a single heatwave or two heatwaves, using natural temperature variation as our control. We are now doing the F2 generation, looking for any trace of grandparent exposure to heatwaves on grand-offspring traits. Stay tuned!