66758 - Marine Population Structure and Connectivity

Learning outcomes

Conceptual and operative knowledge on

• the patterns and processes of population structuring and connectivity of marine organisms;
• the strategies of dispersal underlying the patterns and processes;
• the mechanisms of adaptation and selection in the marine environment. 

 

Abilities and skills in

• measuring the connectivity among populations and assessing adaptation  through the comparative analysis of the genetic variation of populations at neutral and under-selection markers;
• critically review and identify the relationships between connectivity of marine populations and their structure, distribution and demography either in both spatial and temporal scales of variation;
• critically analyze the relationship between dispersal and population distribution, structure, connectivity and dynamics with special emphasis on their resilience to anthropogenic impacts (e.g. fishing, overexploitation, habitat fragmentation)

Course contents

Lectures (4 CFU)

Paradigms of population dispersal, connectivity and structure in the marine realm. Paradigm shifts caused by the recent advances from data and studies with genetic, microchemical and electronic tagging in marine fish with high and low rate of dispersal. Relationships between genetic variation and geographical distribution of marine populations. Relationships between genetic variation and population structure, connectivity and adaptation in marine environment. Relationships between population structure and demography. Illustration and discussion of several iconic case studies for invertebrate and vertebrate marine taxa.

Lab exercises (2 CFU)

Exercise 1 Molecular-genetic markers and methods suitable for assessing structure and connectivity of marine populations: conceptual backgrounds and operational on the molecular marker types and variation, development and analysis of molecular markers, experimental design, sampling, molecular analysis (DNA extraction, choice of molecular markers, gene amplification by PCR, DNA sequencing, individual genotyping).

Exercise 2. Data analysis for assessing evolutionary patterns of population structuring in marine organisms: variation analysis of mtDNA sequences, calculation of genetic distances, reconstruction of phylogenetic trees, reconstruction of phylogeographical patterns, identification of cryptic speciation cases.

Exercise 3. Modelling and simulation of temporal genetic changes in the populations: effect of factors as dispersal, geen flow, effective, population size. Learning and operational use of methods for estimating the population genetic differentiation (i.e. genotyping and allele frequencies, fixation indices).

Exercise 4. Data analysis for assessing ecological patterns of population structuring in marine organisms: variation analysis of allozyme, microsatellite and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism markers, learning and operation use of test and software for the assessment of individual and population genetic relationships.

Readings/Bibliography

There are no textbooks but all scientific papers illustrated and discussed in course will be available to students.

Teaching methods

Lectures
Lab exercises of molecular and data analysiscarried out individually and with the assistance of a instructor

Assessment methods

Written test: 4 queries with open answers

Teaching tools

Scientific reviews and papers. Powerpoint presentations. Monographies
Methods and tutorials for the molecular lab analysis
Tutorials, tests and software for the bioinformatic data analysis.

Office hours

See the website of Fausto Tinti