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Exploring Epigenetics As A Tool For Population Assessment And Conservation In Large Marine Predators, Andria Paige Beal
Exploring Epigenetics As A Tool For Population Assessment And Conservation In Large Marine Predators, Andria Paige Beal
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Worldwide, many large marine predator populations are in decline. These populations can be difficult to study due to the extensive home ranges and migration patterns often exhibited by these species. Molecular tools are therefore necessary to measure specific parameters on these populations that would otherwise be nearly impossible to obtain. This dissertation pioneers the use of environmental epigenetic approaches for that purpose, and specifically the epigenetic modification known as DNA methylation, using sharks and small cetaceans as model organisms. This work is organized into five chapters. Chapter I is an introductory chapter that lays out the fundamentals of environmental epigenetics …
High Natural Gene Expression Variation In The Reef-Building Coral Acropora Millepora: Potential For Acclimative And Adaptive Plasticity, Camila Granados-Cifuentes, Anthony J. Bellantuono, Tyrone Ridgway, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty
High Natural Gene Expression Variation In The Reef-Building Coral Acropora Millepora: Potential For Acclimative And Adaptive Plasticity, Camila Granados-Cifuentes, Anthony J. Bellantuono, Tyrone Ridgway, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty
Department of Biological Sciences
Background: Ecosystems worldwide are suffering the consequences of anthropogenic impact. The diverse ecosystem of coral reefs, for example, are globally threatened by increases in sea surface temperatures due to global warming. Studies to date have focused on determining genetic diversity, the sequence variability of genes in a species, as a proxy to estimate and predict the potential adaptive response of coral populations to environmental changes linked to climate changes. However, the examination of natural gene expression variation has received less attention. This variation has been implicated as an important factor in evolutionary processes, upon which natural selection can act.
Results: …