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2007 NANFA Conservation Research Grant Awardees


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#1 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 01 March 2007 - 03:00 PM

The NANFA Conservation Research Grant review committee -- Bruce Stallsmith, Todd Crail and Jeremy Tiemann -- has received, read and rated this year's 13 proposals. We recommend three of them as worthy of our funding and support, with the main criterion being that these proposals have a direct bearing on some North American species or ecosystem that's in danger. The summaries of each proposal are below, in the order of the awards. The NANFA Board of Directors has voted to support our recommendations. The winners are:

$1000: Anna George & Dave Neely, conservation genetics and larval biology of the popeye shiner;
$750: Allison Pease, ecological effects of an introduced cichlid in the Rio Panuco basin (Mexico);
$500: Mike Sandel, inbreeding depression and conservation genetics of Elassoma alabamae.

1)
Conservation genetics and larval biology of Popeye Shiner, a rare fish in a fragmented ecosystem.
by Anna L. George (Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute, Cohutta, GA) and David A. Neely (California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA)
Introduction. The Popeye Shiner, Notropis ariommus, is an enigmatic minnow that is sporadically distributed across the greater Ohio River drainage. It has been eliminated from much of its historic range, including all populations north of the Ohio River, and persists only as localized and highly fragmented populations in rivers with exceptional water quality. Its decline is thought to be due to habitat degradation, especially increased turbidity and reservoir construction, and its near-absence from collections for the 55-year period between 1894 and 1949 (Gilbert 1969) suggests a partial recovery from a severe population decline. Gilbert (1969) examined morphological variation within Popeye Shiners but found no consistent patterns of geographic variation. However, little is known of its life history or ecology. The southern half of its range is fragmented by a series of large reservoirs that isolate and preclude gene flow between individual metapopulations. Another fish with a similar range, longhead darter, displays higher levels of local genetic differentiation in the southern half of its range (Neely et al., in prep), suggesting that northern populations represent recent dispersal from a lower Ohio River source.
Objectives. Our objectives are to examine 1) the spatial distribution of genetic variation in populations of popeye shiner from across its range; 2) reproduction and larval ecology of popeye shiners in captivity; and 3) current status of popeye shiners across their range. We will also explicitly test the hypothesis of a severe bottleneck between 1894 and 1949 through population genetic parameters.

2)
Ecological effects of an introduced cichlid, Archocentrus nigrofasciatus,
on native Herichthys cichlids in the Rio Panuco basin
Allison Pease, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

The convict cichlid, Archocentrus nigrofasciatus, is a popular species in the aquarium hobby, due largely to its hardiness and ease of breeding in captivity. These traits also increase its chances of establishment when introduced in non-native environments, however, and many established nonindigenous populations have been reported. A relatively recent introduction of A. nigrofasciatus from an aquarium breeding facility has led to its establishment and spread in the Rio Panuco basin in east-central Mixico. The ecological effects of this species in Rio Panuco communities have not yet been examined, but there appears to be a decline in the native cichlid species where it is present. In this study, my goal is to investigate how the establishment of introduced Archocentrus nigrofasciatus has affected native Herichthys cichlids in the Rio Panuco.
I will focus on competition for food and nesting resources, but this research should also shed light on potential impacts of predation and indirect ecosystem effects. I will gather data in order to achieve the following objectives:
1. Examine diet, habitat use, nesting behavior, and interactions of Herichthys species in similar communities with and without introduced A. nigrofasciatus.
2. Compare ecology of A. nigrofasciatus in the Rio Panuco with data from native communities in Costa Rica.
3. Test for evidence of niche shifts in native Herichthys species and A. nigrofasciatus where they co-occur.


3)
Inbreeding Depression and Conservation Genetics of Elassoma alabamae
by Mike Sandel, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

1. Questions to be investigated:
Have reintroduced populations of Elassoma alabamae incurred inbreeding depression?

Is scoliosis in Elassoma alabamae a defect associated with inbreeding depression (reduced microsatellite heterozygosity) or parasite infestation?

Is scoliosis in Elassoma alabamae associated with reduced reproductive potential or growth rate?

2. Objectives:
To assess covariation or correlation between physical and genetic abnormalities within Pryor Spring #1 and Pryor Spring #2, in Limestone County, Alabama.

To compare histological preparations of deformed and typical individuals, with careful attention paid to signs of parasitism often associated with scoliosis.

To compare growth rate distributions and reproductive potential among Beaverdam Creek and Pryor Branch watersheds, focusing on influences of physical deformity within populations.

#2 Guest_viridari_*

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Posted 01 March 2007 - 03:37 PM

Congratulations to the winners and good luck with your research!

I'm wondering... looking online at http://nanfa.org/research.shtml I can see the past recipients of NANFA grant money and at least early on (2001-2002) there are some links to reports that were directly funded by NANFA grant money.

What about the 2003-2006 recipients? Have any of them submitted reports that the membership can read online somewhere?

#3 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 01 March 2007 - 07:07 PM

Congratulations to the winners and good luck with your research!

I'm wondering... looking online at http://nanfa.org/research.shtml I can see the past recipients of NANFA grant money and at least early on (2001-2002) there are some links to reports that were directly funded by NANFA grant money.

What about the 2003-2006 recipients? Have any of them submitted reports that the membership can read online somewhere?



Grant recipients have several years to do the research and analyze results before submitting a report. There's always one or two in process, so another report or two should surface in American Currents by the end of the year.

#4 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 01 March 2007 - 07:23 PM

I was awarded one of these grants last year for my masters research on redside dace. I recently completed the field work and I'm begining to analyze the data now. If all goes well I should be ready to submit a report by some time this summer.

#5 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 01 March 2007 - 08:13 PM

I was awarded one of these grants last year for my masters research on redside dace. I recently completed the field work and I'm begining to analyze the data now. If all goes well I should be ready to submit a report by some time this summer.



Thanks Brian, I figured you were on the ball!



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