Molecular Ecology

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Molecular Ecology

While field studies can reveal much, they can’t reveal everything about the behavioral ecology, evolutionary vulnerabilities, and resilience of a species.

Combining such investigations with molecular genetics and genomics profiling of wild populations provides unique insights into the behavior and fitness of individuals and thus, the structure, viability, and evolution of populations and species.

Molecular ecology is a central component of web.

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genomics of beluga whales

Following on from our studies of specific genetic markers to help resolve dispersal and breeding behavior and determine the role of kinship in whale culture and social organization, we are now exploring entire genomes of beluga whales to discover how these whales are being impacted by and responding to sea ice loss, warming oceans and expanding human activities in the Arctic and subarctic

metagenomics of dolphin blow

We have recently been using metagenomics to characterize the microorganism communities of aquatic ecosystems in efforts to understand the physical and biogeochemical drivers of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and changes in upper trophic levels. We are now applying thes techniques to discover what infectious diseases and HABs marine apex predators are being exposed to in order to assess health risks from ecosystem change. We have partnered with the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program and Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute (shown here) to collect skin samples and the aerosols of dolphin 'blows' for these investigations.

Steller sea lion genomics

Steller sea lions in the western and central Aleutian Islands continue to decline despite decades of increased protection, while sea lions on other rookeries are stable or increasing. Multiple factors, including high mercury (THg) levels have been identified as potential causes of the failure of some rookeries to recover and thrive. We are working with NOAA Fisheries to sequence entire genomes of multiple sea lions from several rookeries in three Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) to identify inherent genetic factors that may confer susceptibility or resilience to factors that impact individual fitness and population viability.