Estimating the dispersal capacity of Scottish blue mussel: From hydrodynamic modelling to genetic population structures
PhD Aim:
- To develop tools to identify the sources of spat to farmed and wild populations using a highly innovative combination of hydrodynamic modelling and next generation genetic analysis.
PhD Objectives:
- To locate broodstock populations. Most likely to be generating the collected seed at each specific site. We will do this by running an established high-resolution hydrodynamic model (FVCOM combined with WRF meteorological model) to simulate spat dispersal in the locality of each site. The most probable locations holding mussel broodstock will be identified, and their presence will be verified in situ.
- To sequence the genome (ddRAD sequencing) of the individuals from all populations to identify a panel of genetic markers (SNPs and/or Microsatellites) able to unpick genetic differences between locations.
Contact Details:
Publications:
- Corrochano-Fraile, A., Adams, T. P., Aleynik, D., Bekaert, M., & Carboni, S. Predictive biophysical models of bivalve larvae dispersal in Scotland. Frontiers in Marine Science, 1710 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.985748
- Corrochano-Fraile, A., Davie, A., Carboni, S. et al. Evidence of multiple genome duplication events in Mytilus evolution. BMC Genomics 23, 340 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-022-08575-9