BSc (Honours)

Contact details for Mr Ryan Woods ryan.woods@student.griffith.edu.au

Thesis

Connectivity of freshwater fish in contrasting Australian river systems.

Description

To address fundamental knowledge gaps in relation to the movement and scales of fragmentation of an often under studied group of organisms, small bodied and common freshwater fish. Using one model species Retropinna semoni, levels of connectivity will be investigated across a range of spatial scales. This hierarchical design will determine the degree of fragmentation at a population level resulting from extrinsic factors such as channel structure, natural barriers and flow regimes and intrinsic factors such as life history strategies, dispersal ability and behavioural constraints. A temporal assessment of connectivity will also be made due to the unique properties of the molecular methods used.

Supervisors

Prof Jane Hughes
Dr Dan Schmidt

Research expertise

• Molecular ecology
• Freshwater biology

Current teaching areas

• Ecological Theory and Practice
• Biology
• Animal Diversity
• Ecology and Conservation of Populations
  

Publications

• Hillyer, M.J., R.J. Woods and J.M. Hughes. (2006) Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the Australian smelt, Retropinna semoni. Molecular Ecology Notes, (6), 224-226.