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Genomics for persistence of Australian freshwater fish
ARC Linkage Project LP110200017
Partner organisations
Monash University, Flinders University, University of Canberra, University of Montana, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Melbourne Water, Fisheries Victoria, Icon Water
Investigators named on application
Prof Paul Sunnucks, Prof Carla Sgrò (Monash U), A/Prof Mark Lintermans (U Canberra), Prof Luciano Beheregaray (The Flinders U), Prof Fred Allendorf, Dr Gordon Luikart (U Montana), Jarod Lyon (Arthur Rylah Institute, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning)
Key Researchers
Dr Alexandra (Sasha) Pavlova (Monash U
Katherine Harrisson (Monash U) - PhD successfully completed within the project, awarded the Genetics Socety of AustralAsia DG Catcheside Prize for the best genetics PhD of 2016, and the Mollie Holman Medal for the best PhD of the year at Monash University Faculty of Science
Collaborators
Bronwen Butterfield, Ben Bryant & John Hyam (Icon Water), Patrick Maiden (ALS | Environmental, Water Resources Group), Dr Thuy Nguyen, Dr Brett Ingram (Fisheries Victoria), Dr Meaghan Duncan & Dr Dean Gilligan (I&I NSW), Rhys Coleman (Melbourne Water), Prof Chris Austin, Dr Han Ming Gan (Monash U, Malaysia), Joanne Kearns, Zeb Tonkin (Arthur Rylah Institute, DELWP), Dr Marina Telonis-Scott, Annika Mae Lamb (Monash U), Minami Sasaki (Flinders U)
Project background
The highly endemic Australian freshwater biota is under severe threat from a variety of stressors including habitat loss and degradation and climate change, which interact with severe reductions in water availability and quality. The ability of organisms to adapt to new environments depends on their adaptive genetic diversity, thus maintenance of adaptive diversity should be incorporated into management strategies. A lack of tools to measure the effects of management interventions on adaptive genetic diversity and population persistence represents a major challenge to the success of restoration programs.
We assembled an outstanding multidisciplinary team to develop genomic based tools to directly assess the outcomes of current and future management and restoration practices for a suite of Australian freshwater fish from the family Percichthyidae, or temperate perches. These genomic tools provide insight into the capacity of these species to persist under a changing climate, in turn ensuring the long-term success of management and conservation programs targeting Australia’s freshwater biodiversity. Working with key freshwater management agencies, we proved the genomic technologies in an array of current pressing management situations.
Snags provide important habitat for native fish. Dams and weirs can be barriers to fish movement. The project assessed the role of habitat characteristics and human structures on levels and types of genetic variation of several species of Australian freshwater fish.
Macquarie perch and trout cod are two fish species of conservation concern.
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