Molecular and behavioural ecology of fishes

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Understanding our world's biodiversity is a fundamental objective of biology. One principle component to this understanding is the role that genes play in shaping phenotypic diversity - to understand biodiversity we must understand the genetic basis of behavioural, physiological and morphological variation. Such knowledge is important not only for pure discovery, but also for the effective management of our natural resources. The proposed research will integrate multiple expertise and research platforms from molecular and behavioural ecology to address four major areas of research comprising mating systems, recognition systems, endocrinology and neurophysiology, and functional genomics. We will use three fish species (bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and guppy Poecilia reticulata) from three orders to provide a comprehensive understanding of phenotypic diversity from molecules to organisms living in their natural environment. Specifically, we will: (1) characterize the roles of natural and sexual selection in shaping genetic diversity in immune genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC); (2) detail the mechanisms and genetic architecture of how individuals recognize their kin, including the role of the MHC as 'recognition alleles'; (3) uncover the roles of steroid hormones and receptors in the behaviour of individuals that adopt different mating tactics and life histories; and (4) implement microarray and real-time PCR technology to profile gene expression patterns associated with the behavioural variation. Two of the fishes we study are socially and economically important in Canada, and thus the research will have both pure (discovery) and applied (conservation) applications. My lab is dedicated to training highly qualified personnel and generating publications of the highest quality. The proposed work will involve 6 PhD students, 4 MSc students, 5 undergraduate thesis students, 1 research technician, and undergraduate assistants. These students will receive extensive training in all aspects of research within molecular and behavioural ecology, which will make them highly qualified and demanded personnel capable of entering academic, government and private sectors.