Ecology & Evolution Seminar Series 2015 - BIOL580 Aims & Methods talks

Date: 15 October 2015 Time: 12.00 pm

1) Vinnie Wood (Jeff Shima) - Migrations and morphologies: Does body shape of adult inanga (Galaxias maculatus) vary across the Hutt River watershed?

Juvenile inanga (Galaxias maculatus) migrate from the sea to rivers, where they are targeted by a whitebait fishery. Individuals migrate different distances upstream. How is upstream migration related to morphology? I will sample populations of inanga at different distances inland from the Hutt River mouth and estimate (1) population density, and (2) individual morphology. I will use fin clipping to infer movement of fish within the river and establish the home range of settled adults. My research will determine the relationship between morphology and movement, and identify processes that contribute to population dynamics.

2) Jana Wold (Peter Ritchie & Geoff Chambers) - Using genetic methods to establish provenance of Buller’s albatross (Thalassarche bulleri)

Buller's albatross are an endemic species to New Zealand and is currently divided into two subspecies, Northern (Thalassarche b. platei) and Southern (Thalassarche b. bulleri). These taxa have a nonsynchronous breeding seasons but their identification using morphological methods is challenging. Distinguishing between the two taxa is crucial as Buller’s are a significant bycatch in commercial fisheries and the relative impact on each population is unknown. The aims of this study are: 1) to develop molecular methods, mtDNA sequencing and microsatellite genotyping for Buller’s Albatross, 2) to use these tools to determine levels of genetic differentiation between the northern and southern groups, and 3) to develop a method for determining the provenance of individuals.

3) Conor Neilson (Jeff Shima) - Spatial and temporal variation in the developmental histories of Galaxias maculatus (whitebait)

Galaxias maculatus are generally amphidromous fish, meaning that while spawning occurs in lotic waters, larval development takes place in marine environments. Juveniles then permanently return to fresh water. Evidence suggests that whitebait recruiting to different rivers have substantially different developmental histories. However, temporal variation in recruitment, within a river, is currently unknown. The aims of this study are: 1) to identify temporal variation in recruitment for whitebait 2) to characterize overall morphology of individual fish through landmark based techniques, and 3) to utilise otoliths to determine age and growth history.

4) Kerry Walton (Pete Ritchie & Nicole Philips) - Population genetics and phylogeography of Cominella maculosa and C. virgata

The inter- and shallow sub-tidal whelks Cominella maculosa and C. virgata are common, widely spread and sympatrically occurring endemic New Zealand species making them ideal for population-level genetic research. Both deposit benthic egg capsules with crawl-away juveniles and have limited dispersal ability. Expanding on an existing cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) dataset, I will use COI and 16s rRNA mitochondrial DNA sequences to explore aspects of population connectivity, history and genetic diversity. My focus will be on the Cook Strait region, which is often connected with phylogenetic disjunction, and outlying parts of New Zealand. Connectivity could elucidate the frequency of chance long-distance dispersal events.

For more information, please contact Dr Heiko Wittmer at Heiko.Wittmer@vuw.ac.nz