CONSERVATION GENETICS/GENOMICS OF EXPLOITED SPECIESMany commercially important species, including some under conservation concern, are still managed with limited knowledge of their basic population genetic structure (biocomplexity). We work with fisheries management agencies (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Government of Nunavut Deparment of the Environment-Fisheries and Sealing) and other partners (Ocean Tracking Network, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency) to better understand the ecology, life history strategies and evolutionary history of key commercial species and those of special conservation concern. We use genetic/genomic tools to outline population structure, characterise the potential for local adaptation and understand how both can change in light of climate regime shifts and other environmental alterations. Ongoing projects include white hake (Urophycis tenuis) in the Northwest Atlantic, circumpolar distributions of Greenland halibut (Hypoglossoides Reinhartdius), and we hope to develop projects related to Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) in the Arctic.
|
|
ADAPTIVE DIVERGENCE AND ECOLOGICAL SPECIATIONThe general research in our lab examines the adaptive divergence of species and its ecological roots in natural and human-impacted systems. The work involves both theoretical treatments of adaptive divergence and ecological speciation paradigms and empirical evaluation of these theories. During much of our conservation work, we often can’t help but relate our work to broader evolutionary and ecological implications of adaptive divergence and/or to the ecological forces driving species/population apart, or, pushing them back together.
|
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES AND BIOINFORMATICS SCRIPTSA great deal of time and effort is spent developing a fundamental understanding of quantitative data analyses of complex datasets. These include:
|
|
PATTERNS OF SHAPE CHANGE
Our lab also strives to develop and use geometric morphometrics (GM) tools to assess patterns of shape change and shape modularity over different environmental gradients. Understanding how shape varies along such gradients can identify specific features allowing particular taxa to expand their distributions. This type of work also helps identify innovative traits or trait features facilitating species/family expansion into important ecological niches, providing insights into the impetus for ecological diversification and speciation in broad taxonomic groups.
|