Yvan Papa
e-mail: yvan.papa@vuw.ac.nz
Supervisors: Maren Wellenreuther, Peter Ritchie (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand), Mark Morrison (NIWA, New Zealand)
Funding: Scholarship from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand & MBIE
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yvan_Papa
A whole genome-level analysis of New Zealand tarakihi stock structure (Nemadactylus macropterus)
Tarakihi (Nemadactylus macropterus) is widely distributed around the inshore areas of New Zealand and South of Australia. It supports an important commercial fishery with annual landings in New Zealand averaging over 5000 t for the past 40 years. Very little is known about its stock structure and previous low-resolution genetic studies have sampled around Australia but only analysed one sample site from New Zealand. The aim of my PhD project is to use whole-genome sequencing of a large population sample (200 specimens from 20 New Zealand locations and two locations in Australia) of N. macropterus to determine the population genetic structure. A high-coverage draft de novo genome will be assembled as the reference N. macropterus genome. This will be one of the first genome-level studies of a New Zealand fishery species and will enable precise population genetic testing for differentiation and the discovery of adaptive variation. The results of this study will be compared to a parallel study that will sample mitochondrial DNA.
