Hobart

Seminar Abstract

Monday 6 February 2012, 11.30am (Tas time)
CSIRO Auditorium, Hobart

A Rus Hoelzel
Professor
School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Durham University
UK

Conservation Genetics in Marine Environments

Conservation Genetic applications began about 45 years ago, and from the earliest days have included work based on marine systems. Initial studies were based on the conservation of diversity of potential economic value, but soon included the preservation evolutionary potential in natural populations. An early focus on endangered species has now developed into a broad range of applications that in addition to working with endangered species includes taxonomic identification, hybrid introgression, the assessment of management units, extinction risk, understanding fitness and behavioural strategies, effective husbandry and forensic applications (e.g. in the regulation of illegal trade). This talk will focus on highly mobile marine organisms, including marine mammals that show cryptic population structure (often correlated to resource specialisations) and greater differentiation among populations than expected given their large capacity for dispersion. I will also describe a series of studies undertaken in my lab on the conservation genetics of deep sea demersal fish species in the North Atlantic. These studies inform some key points in marine fisheries management including the potential importance of larval drift, the relationship between effective and census population size, and the identification of meaningful units of conservation and management.

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Location:
CSIRO = Marine Laboratories Auditorium, Castray Esplanade, Hobart

For further information, or to schedule a seminar, contact:
Andrew Meijers, (Oceanographic seminars) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (03) 6232 5335
Natalie Kelly, (Biology/Modelling seminars) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research 0438 452 483
Jillian Enraght-Moony, (seminar administrator) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (03) 6232 5320
Communications Manager, Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC (03) 6226 7888
Tracey Cochrane, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania (03) 6226 2937

Last updated 17/02/12