Natriuretic peptide hormones and the stress response of fish. There are two main benefits of our research to Australia. Firstly, the team that we have assembled have international reputations, and include scientists from overseas. This team will be led by Australian Institutions and will put Australian science in the forefront of a competitive field, internationally. Secondly, our research examines questions that are critical in our understanding of how animals respond to stressful events. T ....Natriuretic peptide hormones and the stress response of fish. There are two main benefits of our research to Australia. Firstly, the team that we have assembled have international reputations, and include scientists from overseas. This team will be led by Australian Institutions and will put Australian science in the forefront of a competitive field, internationally. Secondly, our research examines questions that are critical in our understanding of how animals respond to stressful events. The response to stress, if excessive, leads to ill-health in both humans and other animals. Our research examines new connections between stress and fish biology, which could lead to discoveries that are valuable in managing stress and health in wild and farmed fishes.Read moreRead less
The development and evolution of the pelvic girdle in basal gnathostomes. Comparing the development of muscles, cartilage and bone in representatives of all three major groups of fish will provide information as to how structures evolved but also how the adult morphology is distributed in phylogeny. Because so little is known about the genetic mechanisms underlying the formation of the pelvic girdle in fish, it is important to start studying a model animal such as the zebrafish. The pathways unc ....The development and evolution of the pelvic girdle in basal gnathostomes. Comparing the development of muscles, cartilage and bone in representatives of all three major groups of fish will provide information as to how structures evolved but also how the adult morphology is distributed in phylogeny. Because so little is known about the genetic mechanisms underlying the formation of the pelvic girdle in fish, it is important to start studying a model animal such as the zebrafish. The pathways uncovered have the potential to describe mechanisms common to all jawed vertebrates, not only common to fish. Understanding the mechanisms that generate major morphological transition in the vertebrate lineage necessarily informs us about our own evolutionRead moreRead less
How connected are marine populations? Comparing life histories of endemic and non-endemic reef fishes to investigate the mechanisms behind self-recruitment. Recruitment of pelagic larvae plays a fundamental role in benthic marine populations, yet the sources and destinations of recruits are unknown for nearly all marine species. Because endemic species rely on retention of locally spawned larvae, they provide a novel opportunity for investigating the mechanisms allowing self-recruitment. I prop ....How connected are marine populations? Comparing life histories of endemic and non-endemic reef fishes to investigate the mechanisms behind self-recruitment. Recruitment of pelagic larvae plays a fundamental role in benthic marine populations, yet the sources and destinations of recruits are unknown for nearly all marine species. Because endemic species rely on retention of locally spawned larvae, they provide a novel opportunity for investigating the mechanisms allowing self-recruitment. I propose to compare the life histories and microchemical signatures in larval otoliths of endemic and closely related non-endemic reef fishes to determine the mechanisms and prevalence of self-recruitment. The results will broaden our understanding of how marine populations are replenished, information critically needed for marine conservation and resource management.Read moreRead less