Genetic connectivity in aquatic habitats |
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I am interested in understanding how genetic diversity is distributed across space and time in freshwater and marine environments, and what this means for on-the-ground efforts to conserve and manage diverse fish species. I've explored these relationships in large pelagic fishes (including marlins, spearfishes, and sailfish), which are capable of long distance migration in open ocean environments that lack obvious physical barriers to movement. I've also explored these relationships in native populations of trout (primarily brook trout), which frequently exhibit substantial population structure across highly fragmented landscapes. This research provides practical information to natural resource managers, and has contributed to management efforts for pelagic species in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, and for trout species in the Lake Superior basin.
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Natural and anthropogenic drivers of genetic diversity |
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Wild populations are exposed to wide-ranging stressors including disease, habitat loss, competition with introduced species, and rising temperatures. What is the impact of these stressors on genetic diversity, and what does this mean for the short- and long-term persistence of wild populations? I am currently exploring these questions in brook trout native to the Lake Superior basin and across the native range, which spans eastern North America. Results from this work help natural resource managers prioritize local populations for management intervention, identify specific stressors for local and regional mitigation, and understand the future trajectory of species at a continental-scale.
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Conservation of adaptive traits |
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I am interested in unravelling genome-to-phenome pathways to better understand molecular mechanisms underlying the occurrence of adaptive traits. This knowledge is foundational to conserving adaptive traits, which are important to the resiliency of populations and species. I am investigating these mechanisms using native populations of brook trout in the Lake Superior basin. In this region, brook trout exhibit two life histories: smaller stream-resident brook trout which reside in rivers, and larger lake-run "coaster" brook trout which undertake seasonal migrations into Lake Superior. My research is focused on determining whether specific regions of the genome are associated with these life history forms. Insights from this work will help inform a broader understanding of life history characteristics under genetic control, and provide information necessary for restoring imperiled lake-run brook trout.
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