"Fish Population Genetics"
Research Measure: Industry Research Measure
Funding Type: Beaufort Marine Research Awards
Funding Year: 2007
Project Duration: 7 Years
Project Type: Capacity Building
Total Grant-Aid: €3.7m
Research Groups:
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast
- Dept. of Zoology, Ecology & Plant Science, University College Cork
Project Summary
To develop research capacity in the priority area of fish population genetics through the funding of a research team that will develop a suite of Genetic Stock Identification (GSI) tools to monitor and predict fish population changes resulting from climate change impacts.
Key Outputs:
- Techniques for parental assignment (genetic tagging)
- Methods to identify and map the extent of evolutionary significant units (populations/stocks)
- Methodologies to assess the proportions of individual populations in mixed assemblages
- Assignment of individual fish to population/stock of origin
- The provision of estimates of effective population size, particulary in declining stocks in marine species
- The monitoring of climate mediated population shifts
- Genome mapping and Quantitative Trait Loci identification.
Objectives:
The general objective of this programme is to increase and to integrate existing research capacity, to maintain continuity, and to conduct both applied and pure research to the highest international standard in the area of fisheries and aquaculture genetics. An additional objective it to retain and expand the existing competitive edge of the Institutions forming this consortium in the field of molecular genetics and ecology. The consortium will be in a unique position to provide scientifically-sound management and conservation advice on relevant fish and invertebrate species from an All-Ireland North-South perspective in face of increasing environmental change. Specifically, the objective of the proposal is to undertake a number of targeted genetic based studies, by means of a coordinated All-Ireland North-South approach, and availing of the excellent facilities and other biological resource sin the Marine Institute. Thus, by providing for the long-term sustainabilty and conservation of irreplaceable Irish marine bio-resources, we will build on established international expertise, to predict the effects of naturally and anthropogenically-induced evolutionary change, including the impact of climate, on the productivity, sustainability and resilience of a number of high-profile commercial finfish and shellfish species.
Further details on Work Package (PDF, 371KB) details are also available.