Project Leader:
Prof. Nils Christian Stenseth, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Oslo, Norway

Principal Investigators:
Dr. Halvor Knutsen, Institute of Marine Research, His, Norway
Dr. Stefano Mariani, University College Dublin, Ireland
Dr. Sergio Stefanni, University of the Azores, Portugal

Associated Partner:
Dr. Francis Neat, Fisheries Research Services, Aberdeen, UK

Description of the CRP:

Over-exploitation of traditional coastal stocks has resulted in the shift of commercial harvesting towards less-known, deep-sea living resources in many parts of the world. Most of these “new” fisheries are now proving to be unsustainable. A key to our ability to manage these fisheries and protect ecosystems, is the understanding of the underlying demographic and life-history characteristics of deep sea species, including their migratory behavior and spatial population structure. In this project, we will apply the most modern methodologies for a multidisciplinary approach to unravel population structure and population connectivity in in economically important deep-sea fishes. Specifically, we will apply microsatellite DNA, mtDNA and nuclear DNA sequence polymorphisms, and otolith microchemistry to detect population structure. Information on genetic differentiation and otolith microchemical parameters will be integrated with bathymetric data, life-history traits, and oceanographic models of ocean currents within a common statistical framework. Both GAM models and landscape genetic tools will be applied to unravel mechanisms for population connectivity, such as passive larval drift and active migration. On the basis of this mix of proven technologies and new approaches, we will acquire new fundamental biological knowledge that will be put forward for developing scientifically sound management plans for one of the world’s most valuable ecosystem.

The CEES is a centre for integrative biological research that has been awarded the status of a national centre of excellence by the Norwegian Research Council. The CEES is based at the Department of Biology, University of Oslo.
The purpose of the CEES is to combine competence from various fields of biology, molecular biology, bioinformatics and statistics in order to approach major, but still unresolved, scientific challenges. An overall goal is to achieve an increased understanding of how living organisms respond and adapt to environmental changes.

The research within the CEES is structured into three interlinked Themes
- The role of population structuring in adaptive evolution
- The potential for adaptation
- The evolution of reproductive isolation