Research
 
Intertidal Fish Eggs
 
3-Day Old C. analis
 
Adult Intertidal Fish
 
 
Recent and Ongoing Research Projects (still under construction) Intertidal Fish The marine intertidal has been of interest to scientist for centuries largely because of the very nature of the intertidal zone (i.e. fluctuations in environmental conditions) and has resulted in studies of trying to understand how organisms cope in this environment. Organisms that live in the intertidal zones have to deal with exposure to changes in temperature, salinity, availability of oxygen, the risk of desiccation and exposure to non-aquatic predators. Since the early 60’s more research has been devoted to studying intertidal fishes, primarily because of their amazing physiological, morphological and behaviour capabilities to cope in this type of environment (Gibson 1982; Horn et al. 1999). However what is lacking is a better understanding of their systematics, possible mechanisms that may have contributed to or facilitated in their intertidal species radiation, how much population genetic structure there is within a species and what historical events could have contributed to their current distributions. These are essential questions that need to be answered if one wants to begin to ask question about adaptation, molecular evolution, and speciation or comparative studies between species. Intertidal fishes are comprised of resident or transient species. Transient species spend varying periods of their life in the intertidal zone. On the other hand, resident species settle in the intertidal as larvae, reproduce and remain there their entire lives and are also usually small, cryptic and typically show numerous morphological (lack swim bladder), physiological (hypoxia and temperature tolerance) and behavioral (homing) adaptations to intertidal habitats. Their diets comprise of small polychaetes, amphipods, isopods, ostracods, cirri from barnacles, sea anemone tentacles as well as algae. My current NSF funded research project is on the resident intertidal fish, Clinocottus analis. Specific Research Question What are the genetic differences between geographically separated populations and which genes contribute to these differences? Can these genes be correlated to differences related to phenotypic or environmental adaptations? The primary goal of this research is to understand the relationship between an organism's genotype in conjunction with the environment it lives in and how these two factors contribute to its phenotype. I am utilizing modern genomic techniques that are capable of monitoring the interactions of several hundred genes at once and identify genes being expressed under different environmental conditions for C. analis that might be ecologically and evolutionarily important. Home Research Publications Links
All contents © Copyright 2009 Marina L Ramon
 
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