Diversity and phylogeography of rock-climbing gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Sicydiinae) of tropical Pacific high islands.

Undergraduate students: apply for fieldwork now! Click here for more information!

Gobies are fishes belonging to the family Gobiidae, the largest of all marine fish families with an estimated 2000 species. Species in the subfamily Sicydiinae have freshwater postlarval and adult stages, but share a pelagic marine larval stage. They are a prominent component of the freshwater fish fauna of tropical high islands of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, and the only native freshwater fishes in some cases, such as the Hawaiian Islands. They are called rock-climbing gobies because post-larvae, juveniles and adults must ascend waterfalls to reach adult habitats. Many new species of sicydiines have been described over the last decade, but few studies of population connectivity among islands exist. Because of their prominence in island streams and high levels of endemism, information on their biology and systematics is crucial to effective conservation efforts.

We are collaborating with Dr. Tom Turner of the University of New Mexico and Mr. Brian Lynch of the College of Micronesia in a study of the phylogeographic patterns of sicydiine goby evolution and an evaluation of morphological evolution among sicydiines using an independent (i.e., molecular) dataset. Using molecular genetic methods we are examining population dynamics, migration, gene flow and evolutionary relationships of co-occurring species of Stiphodon and Sicyopterus inhabiting the Caroline Islands. This project has been funded by the National Science Foundation for three years. In addition we are also gathering information on the diversity and distribution of all gobioid fishes in the Caroline Islands.

Interested in this project?

Funds are available for two undergraduate students to participate in field collections in the Republic of Palau.. Field work is planned for four weeks during summer 2009. Students will participate in laboratory research during the academic year prior to the field work.

Program Experience: In the fall students will learn how to identify sicydiine gobies and common Micronesian freshwater and estuarine fish species, will be taught some basic field and collecting protocols, and learn to use standard and computerized methods of morphological analysis through active engagement in current research. In the spring semester students will learn to extract and amplify DNA from tissues of previously collected specimens. Each semester each student will receive a stipend of $80/week and a lab supply budget of $250. To receive this support, the students accepted to this project will apply online through the Office of Pre-professional Programs at www.sci.tamucc.edu/prepro/application/index.html. All student housing, food and travel expenses for Micronesian fieldwork will be paid through the program. Students will also be informed of basic Micronesian customs. Although nine languages are spoken in the region, English is the official language.

Students interested in joining our research program will be required to:

1. register for 3 hrs of BIOL 4396 in the fall semester and spring semester (total 6 hrs) and apply for undergraduate research support through the Office of Pre-Professional Programs
2. register or have credit for BIOL 2200 and BIOL 4432
3. present results of research at the student research symposium and at a professional conference (poster)

Students must be fit for the demands of fieldwork in the tropics. We will be collecting from rocky stream habitats in mountains, mangrove estuaries at the river mouths, to lagoons.

How to apply

There are openings for two undergraduates to participate in ongoing research funded by the National Science Foundation in the Micronesia. Students will earn a stipend of $80/week over the fall and spring semesters, learn to identify fishes from Pacific island streams, mangroves and coral reefs, learn current molecular and morphological research methods, and be funded for a month of fieldwork in Palau in summer 2009. See these links for additional information on Palau:

www.visit-palau.com/
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ps.html
www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/palau/
 
If interested in applying for this position, come by the Dean's Office in FC-179, and drop off a detailed resume (including 3 references, GPA, relevant course work, and field experience) to Ken Brown.

Please note that the deadline for submission of your application materials is 3pm on Friday, April 25th, 2008. Participants will be selected and notified by May 9, 2008. If you have any questions, please contact Ken at 825-2349.