Recent advances in molecular genetics have produced exciting new techniques that can be applied to long-standing problems in fisheries science. The Fisheries Genetics Program bridges the gap between molecular biology and fisheries science, using  molecular techniques to investigate a wide variety of fisheries-related subjects. Foremost among these are studies of the population genetic structure or stock composition of commercially and/or recreationally important fisheries. The program also uses molecular techniques to determine the evolutionary histories (phylogenies) of marine organisms, and to identify eggs, larvae, and fishery products that cannot be identified using morphological characters (forensic studies).

Current Studies:

• Development of a suite of high-throughput molecular markers for genetic monitoring, genetic tagging and population genetics in bluefin tuna. Funded by National Marine Fisheries Service.

• Discrimination of cownose ray, Rhinoptera bonasus, stocks based on microsatellite DNA markers with R. Fisher, Marine Advisory Service, VIMS).  Funded by National Marine Fisheries Service. 

• Use of mitochondrial control region sequences and nuclear microsattelite loci to evaluate population structuring in the roundscale spearfish Tetrapturus georgii. 

Previous Studies (by species or family):

• Stock structure: Blue marlin, white marlin, black marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, Spanish mackerel, chub mackerel, escolar, marlin sucker (a remora), bluefish, weakfish, menhaden, mako shark, sandbar shark, sharpnose shark, Portuguese dogfish, spiny dogfish, leafscale gulper shark, mummichog, rapa whelk, bay scallop, calico scallop, loggerhead turtle

• Phylogeny:  Billfishes (family Istiophoridae), mackerels (genus Scomber), remoras (family Echeneidae), snake mackerels and cutlass fishes (families Gempylidae and Trichiuridae), and  coleoid cephalopods,

• Forensics (species/population identification/discrimination):  Billfishes, Atlantic and Indo-Pacific blue marlin, Atlantic scombrinds (tunas, mackerels, etc.),  recreational fishes of Chesapeake Bay,  hybrids of the coney and creole fish in Bermuda