Marine Evening October 2023: Genetic Tools for Shark and Ray Conservation and Management скачать в хорошем качестве

Marine Evening October 2023: Genetic Tools for Shark and Ray Conservation and Management

We are postgraduate students at Stellenbosch University in the Shark and Ray Laboratory working under the supervision of Professor Aletta Bester-Van der Merwe. Our lab uses molecular tools to guide and improve the management and conservation of threatened, endangered and endemic species in southern Africa and the South-West Indian Ocean. Mia’s work is centred around developing and optimising genetic tools to improve the identification and management of the Critically Endangered wedgefish species. Jess is looking at how climate change is shifting the distribution patterns and evolutionary trajectory of houndsharks. Karla is developing and optimising molecular tools to improve analysis of species in the Himantura uarnak complex. We founded our platform “Science Saves Sharks" to raise awareness about the threats facing sharks and rays which are apex- and meso-predators, crucial for ensuring long-term marine ecosystem and socio-economic stability. Our goal is to make science accessible to everyone and bring together different ocean stakeholders to work towards a common cause. Collaboration is the key to creating actionable conservation strategies and seeing them through. We are going to share some of the knowledge we have gained on our journey in the shark and ray conservation space and explain how genetics can act as a powerful tool to better understand these incredible creatures. MC: Christine Wessels GUEST SPEAKERS: Jessica Winn BSc Biotechnology and Molecular Biology (Stellenbosch University) BSc Honours in Genetics (Stellenbosch University) PhD in Genetics (candidate) titled: An Evolutionary Ecological Genomics study to inform Conservation and Management of the smoothhound shark Mustelus mustelus at Regional and Oceanic/Global Scales (Shark and Ray Laboratory, Stellenbosch University). Co-founder of Science Saves Sharks Involved in scientific communication programs, shark research initiatives and fundraising. Mia Groeneveld BSc Human Life Sciences with Psychology (Stellenbosch University) BSc Honours in Genetics (Stellenbosch University) MSc in Genetics (candidate) titled: Towards resolving genetic differences and population distributions of wedgefishes from the Southwest Indian Ocean region (Shark and Ray Laboratory, Stellenbosch University). Co-founder of Science Saves Sharks: involved in scientific communication programs, shark research initiatives and fundraising. Marine Guide at CapeRADD Karla Redelinghuys BSc Human Life Sciences with Psychology (Stellenbosch University) BSc Honours in Genetics (Stellenbosch University) MSc in Genetics (candidate) titled: Evolutionary connectivity and phylogeography of stingrays across the Southwestern Indian Ocean (Shark and Ray Laboratory, Stellenbosch University) Co-founder of Science Saves Sharks Involved in scientific communication programs, shark research initiatives and fundraising. Donations towards the Dyer Island Conservation Trust: https://dict.org.za/donate/