Maren Wellenreuther

e-mail: andrea.bertram@flinders.edu.au
Supervisors: Maren Wellenreuther, Luciano Beheregaray (Flinders University, Australia), Luciana Moller (Flinders University, Australia)
Funding: ARC Linkage Programme and Flinders University scholarship

A genomic analysis of stock structure in the marine teleost snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) across Australia

Having spent considerable time during my childhood snorkeling and fishing along the coast of Western Australia in locations such as Perth, Augusta and Ningaloo, I developed a fascination for marine ecosystems at a very young age. Following the completion of my Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the University of Western Australia, I worked at the Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratory for two years. During this time, I took part in a number of molecular ecology projects which led to my interest in the application of genetics and genomics in fisheries management. This interest led me to undertaking a PhD at MELFU with snapper (Chrysophrys auratus), a species that supports major commercial and recreational fisheries across its range and therefore has significant cultural and economic importance. During my project, I will investigate patterns of connectivity, structure and abundance of snapper across Australia and New Zealand using genomic data. The results from this research will allow me to identify stock boundaries and therefore inform fisheries researchers and managers across Australia and New Zealand on the appropriate spatial scales at which to carry out stock assessment, fundamental to the management of wild fisheries. Additionally, the abundance estimates will help me to assess the genetic health of each snapper stock and contribute to existing understanding of the reproductive biology of the species. I also hope that this information will be useful to fisheries researchers for stock monitoring and assessment purposes.