Nucella lapillus isolate:BIG2024_Nlap_m_1 Genome sequencing

The dog whelk Nucella lapillus is a carnivorous sea snail that serves as an indicator species for assessing endocrine disruption by ecotoxic pollutants in marine environments, with chronic exposure leading to the formation of imposex females characterised by the abnormal development of male sex organs, and associated with reductions in fertility and lifespan. Here we report a first genome assembly for N. lapillus comprising 2.41 Gb of sequence. This inaugural assembly lays the foundations for future rigorous genomics-based approaches to quantifying and understanding imposex, and for broader investigations into adaptation to life in intertidal ecosystems.