DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Niche Evolution in Gadine Fishes

本研究的目的是为了更好地了解Gadinae亚科鱼类对环境变化的复杂反应过程。Gadinae是一组海洋鱼类，包括几种具有经济重要性的物种（例如阿拉斯加鳕鱼，大西洋鳕鱼，太平洋鳕鱼）。这一组中的物种已经显示出气候变化导致地理范围改变的一些证据。本研究将整合gadine鱼类间的遗传关系、分布和气候资料，重建其适宜生境特征的演化过程。了解适合这些物种的栖息地是如何进化的，是预测它们在面对气候变化时命运的关键。这些信息又适用于制定自然资源管理政策，以适应和减轻气候变化对具有重要经济意义的渔业的影响。本计划亦将资助两名本科生研究助理，训练他们学习地理资讯系统分析技术。他们在这项研究过程中发展的技能不仅适用于科学研究和资源管理，也适用于制定公共卫生、保护和气候变化管理和减缓战略。

The aim of this study is to develop a better understanding of the complex processes by which fish in the subfamily Gadinae respond to changes in their environment. Gadinae is a group of marine fish that includes several species of economic importance (e.g. Alaska pollock, Atlantic cod, Pacific cod). Species in this group have already displayed some evidence of geographic range alteration as a result of climate change. By integrating information on the genetic relationships among gadine fishes, their distributions, and climate data, this study will reconstruct the evolution of suitable habitat characteristics for the group. Understanding how suitable habitats for these species have evolved is key to predicting their fate when faced with climate change. This information, in turn, is applicable to the development of natural resource management policies for adaptation and mitigation of climate change effects on economically important fisheries. This project will also fund two undergraduate research assistants, training them in geographic information systems analysis techniques. The skills they develop in the course of this research are applicable not only to scientific research and resource management, but to developing public health, conservation, and climate change management and mitigation strategies.