Molecular ecology of sharks with emphasis on effective population size estimation and its applications in fisheries and conservation

Next generation sequencing techniques will be employed to identify suites of accurate and reliable molecular markers for shark species of fisheries and conservation interest. These markers will then be applied to a wide range of population genetics analyses asking species specific ecological questions regarding fine-scale population structure and effective population sizes, and mating behaviours, such as sex-specific philopatry, or polygamy. Such information will greatly enhance the effectiveness of fisheries and conservation management for the target species and elasmobranchs as a group.

Effective population size is considered to be one of the most fundamentally important concepts of classical population genetics.  Under theoretical conditions, it predicts the breeding size of a population given a known quantity of genetic drift, and also indicates the remaining level of genetic diversity essential for a population’s ongoing adaptation to changing environments.  One major objective of my PhD thesis is to elucidate factors that influence estimates of effective population size in wild shark populations.  Computer simulation and molecular data gathered from wild populations will be used to test the influences of characteristic shark life-history properties (slow maturity, low fecundity, and overlapping generations) on effective population size estimates and trends.  The results of these analyses will directly contribute to the formulation of species specific catch quotas for eastern Australian shark fisheries.

Email: dean.blower@uqconnect.edu.au

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