US-Pakistan Cooperative Research: Population Genetics of Benthosema Pterotum, A Mesopelagic Fish from the Arabian Sea

0218248 Bernardi描述：该奖项是为了支持加州大学圣克鲁斯分校生物系Giacomo Bernardi博士和巴基斯坦卡拉奇国家海洋研究所海洋学系Shahid Amjad博士之间的联合研究项目。 他们计划研究一种来自阿拉伯海的中层鱼类--鳍底鱼的种群遗传学。 阿拉伯海具有复杂的海洋学，因此生物生产力很高。 在公海中，最高营养层是游泳动物，如海洋哺乳动物和大型鱼类，如金枪鱼和鲭鱼。 在阿拉伯海西北部和邻近的阿曼湾，中层鱼类是最高营养层的代表。 这些都是小的，中层水的物种，如灯笼鱼（Myctophidae），Hatchetfishes（Sternoptychidae）和Bristlemouths（Gonostomatidae）。 据报道，数量最多的主要物种是灯笼鱼（Benthosema pterotum）。 这将在巴基斯坦海岸从阿曼湾到阿拉伯海中部收集。 具体来说，研究人员计划调查阿曼湾和阿拉伯海种群B之间的遗传差异。pterotum在巴基斯坦海岸（小规模）。 他们将提取DNA，PCR扩增和测序核内含子和线粒体基因座，以建立B的群体结构模式。pterotum。 采样方案将有大约500个个体，以具有足够的统计有效性。适用范围：该奖项将允许PI领导的美国团队与NIO的巴基斯坦团队合作开展具有重大科学意义的研究项目。 PI将与NIO的年轻巴基斯坦科学家密切合作，培训他们掌握鱼类调查的最佳方法并捕获特定物种。然后，这些科学家将进行大部分的实地工作。他们还将接受新分子技术的培训。 巴基斯坦的海洋科学正处于发展阶段，这种合作将大有帮助。 该项目将对NIO和巴基斯坦渔业部门产生积极影响。 所有与西北印度洋接壤的国家都想收获B。pterotum商业。 对种群遗传学的进一步了解以及这项试点研究所带来的其他知识将有助于该地区的科学家利用这一未开发的渔业资源。

0218248BernardiDescription: This award is for support of a joint research project between Dr. Giacomo Bernardi, Biology Department, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California and Dr. Shahid Amjad, Department of Oceanography, The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Karachi, Pakistan. They plan to study the population genetics of Benthosema pterotum, a mesopelagic fish from the Arabian Sea. The Arabian Sea has complex oceanography, which results in high biological productivity. In the open ocean, the topmost trophic level is represented by nekton such as marine mammals and large fishes such as tunas and mackerel. In the northwest Arabian Sea and adjacent Gulf of Oman, the topmost trophic level is represented by mesopelagic fishes. These are small, midwater species such as Lanternfishes (Myctophidae), Hatchetfishes (Sternoptychidae), and Bristlemouths (Gonostomatidae). The main species reported in abundance is the lanternfish Benthosema pterotum. This will be collected off the coast of Pakistan from the Gulf of Oman to the Central Arabian Sea. Specifically, the investigators plan to investigate the genetic differences between Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea populations of B. pterotum off the coast of Pakistan (smaller-scale). They will extract DNA, PCR amplify and sequence nuclear intron, and mitochondrial loci to establish patterns of population structure in B. pterotum. The sampling protocol will have approximately 500 individuals to have enough statistical validity. Scope: This award will allow a US team headed by the PI to collaborate with a Pakistani team from the NIO in a research project of significant scientific interest. The PIs will be working closely with young Pakistani scientists at NIO to train them for the optimum methods for fish surveys and to catch the specific species. These scientists will then carry out most of the fieldwork. They will also be trained in the new molecular techniques. Pakistan's ocean science is at a stage of development where this collaboration will greatly help. This project will have a positive impact on NIO and the fisheries departments in Pakistan. All countries bordering the northwestern Indian Ocean would like to harvest B. pterotum commercially. Improved understanding of its population genetics, and other knowledge that will follow from this pilot study, will help scientists in the region utilize this unexploited fishery resouce.