In This Issue:

President’s Message • Wright Award •  Phelps Award • Symposia Needed  •  Coastwide Publication • Symposium Announcement  •  Workshops  •  Job Ads •  Fish in the News • Newsletter Submission • Calendar

President’s Message

Dear Genetics Section Members,

It’s hard to believe that it is August already; it seems like I just finished writing for the May newsletter.  This is the pre-meeting newsletter and much of the information it contains is related to events that will take place next month in Seattle.   For those who will be able to attend I’d like to remind you of the Section’s business meeting that will take place on Monday September 5 at 5:30 pm in room 304 of the Washington State Convention Center (the last talk of the day is at 5:15).  There will be some important business at this meeting, including a proposal to institute a Hall of Fame for the section to honor members who have made significant, long-term contributions to the section, the parent society and the field of fishery genetics.  I encourage every member to attend, participate in the discussions and find where you can contribute to the activities of the section.  The opportunity for a student to attend the society meetings as an ‘ad hoc’ member of the section’s executive committee has not yet been filled, so contact me or Meredith Bartron (Meredith_Bartron@fws.gov) if you are interested. 

As mentioned in past newsletters, the following evening, Tuesday September 6, there will be a social event with a light dinner for section members, family, and interested non-members.  While this social will provide an opportunity for members to get together in a casual setting, the social will also serve to raise funds to provide travel scholarships to students to attend and present at professional meetings.  As this is the First Annual Genetics Section Social we have no precedent to help us plan.  We are planning for a cost of approximately $30 per person and we have received sponsorship from Life Technologies to help keep this affordable.  Please watch your email and the section website for more information.

Sincerely,

Bill Templin

AFS Genetics Section President

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Congratulations to the Winners of the AFS Genetics Section Graduate Award in Memory of James E. Wright

The Genetics Section of the American Fisheries Society is pleased to announce that Caroline Storer and Emily Lescek are this year’s recipients of the James E. Wright Graduate Award.  The award is given in the memory of Jim Wright, one of the founders of fish genetics research and education in North America.  The work of Jim Wright and his students combined classical chromosome studies and allozyme inheritance and helped shape our understanding of the salmonid genome.  The award is presented annually at the Genetics Section meeting during the AFS Annual Meeting.  The award is intended to recognize excellence in graduate-level work in fisheries genetics and to assist graduate students with travel to the national meeting.

Caroline Storer is completing her M.S. at the University of Washington under the direction of Dr. Jim Seeb.  Caroline’s research is concentrated on developing effective molecular assays that can be used to better understand sockeye salmon population structure, ecology, and physiology.  In Seattle, she will be presenting a paper entitled “Rank and order: evaluating the performance of sockeye salmon SNP assays” at the symposium "Sockeye on the brink: Can good fisheries management maintain and restore sockeye stocks in the Pacific Northwest?"

Emily Lescek is completing her Ph.D. at the University of Alaska Fairbanks under the direction of Drs. Andres Lopez and Frank von Hippel (University of Alaska Anchorage).  Emily is investigating the population structure of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska and identifying regions of the genome under selection when oceanic colonizers initially adapt to freshwater environments.

Caroline and Emily are both members of AFS and the genetics section, are active in the student units at their universities, and plan to pursue academic careers teaching and doing research using genetic data and methods to address questions relevant to fisheries management and conservation.

 Finally, thanks to Timothy Sullivan (University of Toledo) for his excellent application.  He will be presenting a paper entitled, “Fine scale population genetic structure of yellow perch Perca flavescens: a spatial and temporal analysis of Lake Erie stocks-progress to date” as part of the best student paper competition.

The James E. Wright Scholarship Committee:

Jeff Olsen, Chair

Mike Canino

Willy Eldridge

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Announcing the 2010 Stevan Phelps Award Winners

The Genetics Section of the American Fisheries Society is pleased to announce that Steven L. Schroder, Curtis M. Knudsen, Todd N. Pearsons, Todd W. Kassler, Sewall F. Young, Edward P. Bealland David E. Fast are the recipients of the 2010 Stevan Phelps Award for their paper  “Behavior and breeding success of wild and first-generation hatchery male spring Chinook salmon spawning in an artificial stream” in Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 139:989-1003.  This award is given to recognize the best genetics-related paper published in an AFS journal and is presented annually at the Genetics Section business meeting during the AFS Annual Meeting. 

The Stevan Phelps Award Committee:

Ken Currens, Chair

Stew Grant

Brian Sloss

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Your Favorite Symposia Are Waiting To Be Created

Symposia Needed for the 2012 AFS meeting

Start thinking about symposia ideas for AFS 2012 in St.Paul/Minneapolis, MN. The symposia committee especially wants topicswith broad reach to convince the coastal and marine types to headinland. Genetics is a great topic to cross geographic boundaries andmarine/freshwater systems. We also are promoting the idea of sponsoredsymposia - targeting smaller contributions by privates (such as genetics/biotech companies) who would notsponsor the whole meeting or may not participate in the trade show.

 Please contact me at mille075@umn.edu with any suggestions.  I look forward to hearing from you!

 
Loren Miller, AFS 2012 Symposia Chair

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Special Publication:  2010 Coastwide Salmonid Genetics

Genetic Adaptation of Natural Salmonid Populations

 
A special section of the AFS journal Transactions of the American Fisheries Society edited by David Teel, Shawn Narum, Jeffrey Olsen and Fred Utter was released in July containing papers presented at the 2010 Coastwide Salmonid Genetics Workshop.  The gathering of salmon geneticists in Boise, Idaho on June 2-4, 2010 was the most recent Coastwide Salmonid Genetics Meeting, a meeting series now spanning four decades. 

The 2010 Coastwide meeting included a plenary session emphasizing genetic adaptation of salmonids, and papers in the plenary session were invited for publication in a special section of the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society.  These papers follow in the strong tradition of using allelic variants to study the complexities of life history, landscape, and cultural variations in salmonid populations. The papers include recent investigations using candidate markers and studies employing joint analyses of loci reflecting neutral and adaptive genetic variation. The contributions address numerous research and management topics including associations of salmonid genetic adaptations with environmental and phenotypic variability, population structure, reproductive success, stock introduction, and the analysis of population mixtures.

The AFS Genetics Section provided a travel award for Mike Ackerman, a graduate student at the University of Washington, to present his paper “Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) under Diversifying Selection Provide Increased Accuracy and Precision in Mixed-Stock Analyses of Sockeye Salmon from the Copper River, Alaska.”

Copies of the entire issue featuring the special section on genetic adaptation of salmonids are available for order from Taylor & Francis (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00028487.2011.583537) for $20 including shipping (AFS member price).

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Symposium Announcement

Genes in Ecology, Ecology in Genes

The 9th Annual "Genes in Ecology, Ecology in Genes" Symposium will be held on November 4, 5, & 6, 2011, in Kansas City. We will convene in the Muehlbach/Marriott Hotel in downtown Kansas City at 6:00 p.m. and conclude on Sunday at noon.           Registration will be opening soon!  Ecological Genomics is a field at the interface of ecology, evolution and genomics that seeks to place the functional significance of genes and genomics into an ecological and evolutionary context.  We have an outstanding lineup of speakers for the 2011 Symposium and we encourage you to attend!

PLENARY SPEAKER: Louis Bernatchez - Université Laval 

FEATURED SPEAKERS:  Bryon Adams - Brigham Young University Justin Borvitz - University of Chicago Daniel Buckley - Cornell University John Colbourne - Indiana University John Jaenike - University of Rochester Brian Lazzaro - Cornell University Jeremy Marshall - Kansas State University Emilie Snell-Rood - University of Minnesota Victoria Sork - University of California-Los Angeles  

POSTER SESSIONS:  A poster session will be held on Saturday afternoon.  Poster topics should be related to the field of Ecological Genomics.  A LIMITED NUMBER OF SUBMITTED POSTER ABSTRACTS WILL BE SELECTED FOR  ORAL PRESENTATIONS. 

If you have questions, please contact the Ecological Genomics Institute Directors:    

Loretta Johnson, johnson@ksu.edu and Michael Herman, mherman@ksu.edu  

Kansas State University, Division of Biology,  116Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS  66506-4901.  Funding for this symposium is provided by Kansas State University.

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Upcoming Workshops

Announcing theEurope 2011 Workshop on Comparative Genomics, CeskyKrumlov, Czech Republic, 9 – 21 January 2011.

The Workshop on Comparative Genomics consists of a series of lectures, demonstrations and computer laboratories that cover various aspects of comparative genomics focusing on next-generation sequencing data. Faculty are chosen exclusively for their effectiveness in teaching theory and practice in comparative genomics. Included among the faculty are developers and other experts in the use of computer programs and packages such as AUGUSTUS, Ensembl, GMOD/GBrowse, MEGAN, MIRA, and Scripture who provide demonstrations and consultations. The course is designed for established investigators, postdoctoral scholars, and advanced graduate students. Scientists with strong interests in the uses of short-read sequence data, analytical methods, comparative structure of genomes, SNP detection and analysis, genome visualization tools and related areas are encouraged to apply for admission. Lectures and computer laboratories total ~90 hours of scheduled instruction. Admission is limited and highly competitive, with admissions decisions determined by an international committee. No programming experience is required.

Topics to be covered include:

• Sequencing technologies: short-read sequencing technologies of various types
• Assembly and alignment: basic analyses in de novo and re-sequencing studies
• Gene finding and annotation: functional description of genomic data – Genome characterization: gene content; genome structure; synteny; SNPs
• Assigning sequences to taxonomic groups in metagenomic studies
• Evolutionary genomics
• Population genomics

Fee: 1800 USD. Fee includes opening reception and mid-course dinner, but does not include other meals or housing. Special discounted pricing has been arranged for hotels, pensions and hostels.  Offered in partnership with the Graduate Research School in Genomic Ecology (GENECO) http://www.geneco.se/

Application Deadline: 15 October is the preferred application deadline, after which time people will be admitted to the course following review of applications by the admissions committee. However, later applications will certainly be accepted.  For more information and online application see the Workshop web site:

http://www.molecularevolution.org/workshops/WCG

Note that the Workshop on Molecular Evolution is also being offered immediately after the Workshop on Comparative Genomics.  See http://www.molecular evolution.org/workshops/WME for details.

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Faculty Job Announcements

Faculty Positions

Assistant Professor: Marine Molecular Biology

The rapidly growing Marine Biology Program in the Department of Life Sciences of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Marine Molecular Biology. The successful candidate will specialize in the use of cutting-edge molecular approaches to address marine biological research problems. This position will further expand and complement our existing program (www.marinebiology.tamucc.edu). The preferred start date is January 2012, but no later than September 2012. A competitive startup package will accompany this position. 

Job Duties: The successful candidate will be expected to develop a vigorous, externally-funded research program, supervise graduate students, and teach undergraduate and graduate courses supporting the Biology B.S. and M.S. Programs, Marine Biology M.S. Program, and, particularly, the joint Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Marine Biology Program.

Preferred Qualifications: Candidates must have a Ph.D. degree in a biological (or closely related) discipline.  Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is a rapidly growing research university located on the Gulf of Mexico overlooking Corpus Christi Bay. With over 10,000 students, it offers a wide array of academic programs with 18% of the students enrolled in graduate programs. Applications are particularly encouraged from individuals with active, federally-funded research programs and strong external collaborations who can take advantage of our modern research laboratories and equipment, including those associated with our core molecular and microscopy facilities. Ample opportunities exist for collaboration with researchers from the Department of Life Sciences as well as from the University's strong portfolio of marine-oriented research institutions such as the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (http://harteresearchinstitute.org), Center for Coastal Studies (http://ccs.tamucc.edu) and Conrad Blucher Institute (http://www.cbi.tamucc.edu/). Our unique location provides many opportunities for marine-related research including proximity to extensive bays and estuaries along the Gulf of Mexico.  With a population of ~300,000, Corpus Christi has numerous urban conveniences while maintaining a small-town atmosphere. Located in South Texas, Corpus Christi is close to popular destinations, including Padre Island National Seashore, San Antonio and Austin.

Apply online at https://islanderjobs.tamucc.edu.Application must include a cover letter describing qualifications, research and teaching interests, curriculum vitae, and the names and phone numbers of four or more references.  The position will remain open until filled with preference given to applicants submitting all requested documentation by August 15, 2011. Contact Information: Dr. Paul Zimba, Search Chair, Paul.Zimba@tamucc.edu 

Professor of Integrative Biology & Director of Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

The Department of Integrative Biology and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley invites applications for a tenured joint faculty appointment in the evolutionary biology of vertebrates. We view vertebrate evolutionary biology broadly, and the successful candidate's research expertise might thus include (but not be limited to) the areas of systematics, biodiversity informatics, comparative phylogenetics, evolutionary genomics, conservation biology, evolutionary ecology, and evolutionary and ecological dynamics in relation to environmental change. The successful candidate will be expected to maintain a dynamic, field collections-based, extramurally funded research program, and will have an inspired vision for the future of the MVZ and museum-based research more generally. Candidates must have a strong interest in undergraduate and graduate teaching and will be expected to contribute to instruction in general and specialized courses. A commitment to expanding and utilizing museum collections in research, education, and outreach is required. The MVZ and IB are highly interested in candidates who have engaged in service towards increasing the participation of individuals from groups historically under-represented in higher education.

For further information about the MVZ and IB, please visit our websites (http://mvz.berkeley.edu/ and http://ib.berkeley.edu/). For information regarding confidentiality, please refer to: http://apo.chance.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html.

Please submit application materials describing relevant qualifications and experience for the position, a curriculum vitae, statements of  research interests, teaching philosophy and outreach to underrepresented  groups, a vision statement for the MVZ, and the names and contact  details for three references. Applications should be submitted electronically via  http://ls-ourunit.berkeley.edu:80/candidate/ selRegister.php?i=576or via  email to: VertEvol.IB.MVZ@gmail.com.If electronic submission is not possible, materials must be sent by regular mail to:  Vertebrate Biology and MVZ Director Search Committee Department of Integrative Biology 3040 Valley Life Sciences Building University of California Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720-3140 USA.  Applications must be received electronically or postmarked by  September 7th, 2011.   

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Fish in the News

Here are some clickable links to news stories that may be of interest to you.  Reader Beware! these stories were obtained from something called “the Internet” and their veracity was not checked by your faithful editor!

Science - Canadian Fish Scientist 'Muzzled' by Government.     LINK

NewsWise.com - Sport fishing magazine honors VIMS professor.     LINK 

GhanaWeb - Government inaugurates a taskforce to check illegal fishing.     LINK

Politico.com - Former Murkowski aide Arne Fuglvog admits to breaking fishing laws.     LINK

Baltimore Sun - ASMFC takes historic 1st step to protect menhaden.    LINK

Sydney Morning Herald - Overfishing and dams driving freshwater fish towards extinction.    LINK

Guardians Press - More Than A Third Of Freshwater Fish Threatened With Extinction.     LINK

ZME Science - 357 dead sharks found on illegal fishing ship in Galapagos Park.   LINK 

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Post Your News With The AFS-GS Newsletter!

The deadline for the November 2011issue is on or before October 25. Send your notices, announcements or just fish stories (i.e., lies)to the newsletter editor atjcarlin@gustavus.edu.

Sincerely,

Joel Carlin, AFS Genetics Section Newsletter Editor

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Calendar of Upcoming Events

August

8/15— Fall proposal target deadline for the Biological Oceanography Program of the National Science Foundation.   See www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp? pims_id=11696.

8/20-25—ESEB 2011, the 3rd Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology.University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen Germany.  See www.eseb2011.de/.

September

9/2 — Early registration deadline for ICCB, the International Congress for Conservation Biology: “Engaging Society in Conservation.” 28 November – 2 December 2011 at University of Canterbury, WhareWananga o Waitaha, Christchurch, New Zealand. See www.conbio.org/Activities/ Meetings/2011/index_al.cfm?CFID=18615856.

9/4-8 — 141^st Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.  Seattle, WA.  The AFS meeting includes the following section-sponsored symposia:  “Conservation Genetics and Genomics In Fisheries,”“Incorporating Genetic Data into Population Introduction Programs,” and “Larval dispersal, population connectivity and the management of marine species.” See www.fisheries.org/afs2011.

9/5, 5.30 p.m. — Annual Business Meeting for the AFS Genetics Section.Washington State Convention Center room 303.   See this newsletter’s President’s Message for details.

9/9 — Abstract deadline for annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, SICB 2012, to be held 3-7 January 2012 at Charleston Area Convention Center, Charleston SC. is 9 Sep 2011, Early registration fee due by 3 Dec 2011.  See http://www.sicb.org/meetings/2012/.

October

10/15 — Fall application deadline for Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research undergraduate and graduate research grant program.  See  www.sigmaxi.org/ programs/giar/index.shtml.

10/25 — Submission deadline for the November 2011 Newsletter for the AFS Genetics Section.  Please send news items to the Editor at jcarlin@gustavus.edu.

November

11/5—9^th Annual Symposium on “Genes in Ecology, Ecology in Genes” at the Muehlbach Marriott Hotel in Kansas City, KS.  See http://ecogen.ksu.edu/.

11/5—Application deadline for the fall 2012 EPA STAR, the Science to Achieve Results fellowships for Graduate Environmental Study.  See www.epa.gov/ ncer/fellow/.

11/18—Full proposal deadline for NSF DDIG, the Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant in the Directorate for Biological Sciences, National Science Foundation.  See www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5234&org=NSF.

11/28-12/2—ICCB, the International Congress for Conservation Biology: “Engaging Society in Conservation.” at University of Canterbury, WhareWananga o Waitaha, Christchurch, New Zealand.  Abstract deadline is 31 March.  Early registration deadline is 2 September.  Seewww.conbio.org/Activities/Meetings/2011/index_al.cfm?CFID=18615856.

December – January 2012

12/3 — Early registration deadline for the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, SICB 2012, to be held 3-7 January 2012 at Charleston Area Convention Center, Charleston SC.  Abstract deadline is 9 Sep 2011, Early registration fee due by 3 Dec 2011.  See http://www.sicb.org/meetings/2012/.

12/9—Application deadline for the fall 2012 EPA GRO, the Greater Research Opportunities fellowships for Undergraduate Environmental Study.  See www.epa.gov/ncer/fellow/.

1/3-7 — Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, SICB 2012, at Charleston Area Convention Center, Charleston SC.  Abstract deadline is 9 Sep 2011, Early registration fee due by 3 Dec 2011.  See http://www.sicb.org/meetings/2012/.

1/12 —Early registration deadline for World Aquaculture Society’s Aquaculture America 2012 at Las Vegas NV. See https://www.was.org/WasMeetings/ meetings/Default.aspx?code=AA2012

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The American Fisheries Society Genetics Section

August 2011 Newsletter

Volume 24, Issue 3

In This Issue:

President’s Message • Wright Award •  Phelps Award • Symposia Needed  •  Coastwide Publication • Symposium Announcement  •  Workshops  •  Job Ads •  Fish in the News • Newsletter Submission • Calendar

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New Items!

The August 2011 Newsletter is available in the Newsletter Section.

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