Wright Award
application deadline extended to July 6
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The American Fisheries Society
Genetics Section
Newsletter
Volume 25, Issue 2
June 2012
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In This Issue:
President’s
Message
Dear Genetics Section Members,
In my
last message I discussed the value
that students and young
professionals bring to the parent society, the section, and to our
professions. In the
past we have also discussed the vital
part that active volunteers younger and older, experienced and
inexperienced
play in the success of our organization and the value they add to
membership in
the section. We are
now close to
completing the steps necessary to recognize the men and women who have
contributed to the society and the field over the course of their
careers. In the
activities of these three areas I see
an integrated system that we can look to when we evaluate the health of
the
Genetics Section or when we need to answer questions about our purpose
and/or
the value of membership. I’ve
been
looking and I like what I see. It
isn’t
perfect and we can get better, but we are healthy. Thank you to
everyone who has encouraged
someone to join, sponsored a symposium, helped with an event, presented
a
paper, voted on an issue, responded to a request for information or an
opinion,
reviewed a paper or policy statement, or contributed in any of the many
other possible
ways.
Sincerely,
Bill
Templin AFS Genetics
Section President
AFS
Genetics Section Graduate Award in Memory of James E. Wright
Deadline
extended to July 6
The
Genetics
Section of the American Fisheries Society is pleased to announce the
James E.
Wright Graduate Award. This award is presented annually by the Genetics
Section
at the AFS Annual Meeting and is intended to recognize excellence in
graduate-level work in fisheries genetics and to assist graduate
students with
travel to the national meeting. The section anticipates awarding an
award for
$500 to attend the 2012 AFS annual meeting in Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Minnesota.
All graduate students are encouraged to apply.
Selection
will be
based on the following criteria:
- Potential for success in research in
fisheries genetics (60%)
- Anticipated contribution to upcoming
annual meeting, e.g. paper, poster, or other contribution (20%)
- Service to the Society, its Sections, or
Chapters (10%)
- Demonstrated need for travel
assistance (10%)
Application Procedure:
- Applicant must be a full or affiliate
member of the Genetics Section at the time of application.
- Application package should include:
- A brief curriculum vitae including
anticipated degree, date of completion, and career goals.
- A statement of the thesis or
dissertation and abstract of progress to date.
- The names and addresses of two
references familiar with the applicant’s background and abilities.
- A statement of previous service to
the Society, its Sections, or Chapters, and need for travel assistance.
- A statement addressing anticipated
contribution to the upcoming annual meeting.
Deadline for application is: July
6, 2012
All application materials should be sent via postal or email to:
Jeffrey B. Olsen
Conservation Genetics Laboratory
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1011 East
Tudor Road
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Phone (907) 786-3598
Email: jeffrey_olsen@fws.gov
Section Officers Election Announcement
Please join me in congratulating Jeff
Olsen and Wendy Stott as newly elected
officers of the AFS Genetics Section. Jeff will be joining the
Executive Committee as President-elect and Wendy as
Secretary/Treasurer. They will be installed at the August business
meeting, so be sure to attend and provide them a rousing start to their
terms in office
Genetics Section Social and Fundraiser at
AFS 2012
Everyone, Section member or not, is invited
to the 2nd annual Genetic Section social and fundraiser at the 2012 AFS
meeting in St. Paul/Minneapolis. The event will be from 6-9 pm on
Tuesday, August 21 at a bar/restaurant near the convention center and
hotels. The cost should be approximately $35. The only major meeting
event that this overlaps is the Student Social, but our social should
be within a 5-10 min walk so students can party hop.
We sent a link to a SurveyMonkey poll on June 12 to gauge interest.
Please respond to this poll ASAP if you haven't yet. If you can't track
this link or know someone else interested, send an e-mail to LMM@umn.edu.
Genetics Section Hall of Excellence:
Status
update
The Genetics Section of the American
Fisheries Society recently approved by 92% of the voting members an
amendment to the section bylaws to establish a Genetics Section Hall of
Excellence. Following AFS protocols, the section recommended bylaw
change is being forwarded to the AFS Governing Board for approval. If
approved by the Governing Board, the Genetics Section Executive
Committee is proposing to begin the process of nomination of the Hall
of Excellence Committee member-at-large during the normal section
election cycle, sometime late fall. Nominations for the Hall of
Excellence will be due June 15, 2013, and the first award (s) to up to
three inductees will be presented at the AFS annual meeting, in 2013.
If you are interested in being nominated to join the committee, please
contact Bill Templin. If approved by the AFS Governing Board, Hall of
Excellence information and nomination forms will be posted on the
Genetics Section website. Thanks for your participation and comments
during this process.
Genetics News in Fisheries
As mentioned in the last newsletter, I was contacted by Sarah Gilbert
Fox, managing editor of Fisheries, about the
possibility of our section
providing a regular submission of news relating to genetics and
fisheries. Given the increasing importance and application of genetics
to fisheries, they would like to begin highlighting the Genetics
Section. Marissa Jones, a graduate student at the
School of Fisheries
and Ocean Sciences at the University of Washington, has volunteered to
coordinate this opportunity to highlight the section and the many
people and applications that we represent. Thank you, Marissa.
Meeting Announcement
2012
Coastwide Salmonid Genetics
The Coastwide Salmonid Genetics Meeting
is a biennial forum for presenting advances in genetic techniques as
well as empirical genetic research involving salmonids. This conference
aims to promote and further improve use of molecular techniques in
conservation and restoration of salmonid biodiversity.
The 2012 meeting will be held from July 9th to July 12th at the
University of California Davis. The are several hotels within a
reasonable walking distance of Putah Creek Lodge and Buehler Alumni
Center. If you prefer to stay outside of Davis there are several public
transportation options for commuting to Davis and from the airport.
To register, please e-mail your name, affiliation, e-mail address, and
meal preference (meat or vegetarian) to bpmay@ucdavis.edu.
For
payments, contact Kelly Wade at the UC Davis Department of Animal
Science by e-mail (kswade@ucdavis.edu)
or phone (530-752-4512) for
credit card payment OR write a check payable to “Regents of the
University California” and mail to: Kelly Wade, Business Office
Supervisor, Department of Animal Science, University of California
Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616
Registration Costs:
- Registration with wine tour $175
(non-student)
- Registration with no wine tour $140
(non-student)
- Registration with wine tour $125
(student)
- Registration with no wine tour $90
(student)
- Wine tour for SO’s ($35)
Registration fees include a conference
program, lunch, and beast roast or veggie evening feast.
For more information, please see the website at
http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/
Coastwide/2012_Coastwide_Salmonid_Genetics_Meeting/Home.html.
Symposium Announcement
Role
of Molecular Genetics in Fisheries
Management in the Great Lakes Region
In 1980, the Stock Concept
International
Symposium (STOCS) brought together scientists and managers from the
United States, Canada, and Europe to synthesize the state of knowledge
about the stock concept and examine its potential role in fisheries
management and rehabilitation of fish stocks in the Great Lakes region.
Genetic methods were highlighted as having great potential to describe
genetic variation and population structure in aquatic species. Since
STOCS molecular techniques have advanced significantly and continue to
play a role in stock assessment in the Great Lakes region. Researchers
across the Great Lakes have contributed collected genetic data for
numerous species in all lake basins that have contributed significantly
to management and rehabilitation efforts. As issues that may impact
past rehabilitation efforts and pose entirely new challenges emerge,
this is an excellent time to assess the role of population genetics in
stock based management of Great Lakes aquatic ecosystems by reviewing
past research, examining the use of molecular techniques to address
current and emerging issues and to learn about novel approaches that
might be used to address emerging (and continuing) challenges.
Therefore, we propose a symposium to review the role of population
genetics in stock based management and rehabilitation of Great Lakes
aquatic ecosystems and to identify and prioritize future issues in
fisheries management and rehabilitation in the region that may be
addressed using genetic methods. This symposium will bring together AFS
members who work in the Great Lakes region on issues concerning stock
based management to share ideas and learn more about the use of
molecular techniques as well as researchers and biologists who work in
other regions.
Organizers:
Wendylee Stott, Michigan State Univ/USGS Great Lakes Science Center,
(734) 214-7242, wstott@usgs.gov
Kim Scribner, Michigan State University, 517-353-3288, scribne3@msu.edu
Chris Wilson, Ministry of Natural Resources and Trent University,
705-755-2260, chris.wilson@ontario.ca
Brian L. Sloss, USGS WI Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, University
of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, (715) 346-3522, brian.sloss@uwsp.edu
Symposium Announcement
Teaming
up Atlantic and Pacific Salmonid Biologists to Enhance Recovery of
Endangered Salmon in the North
Salmon hold an iconic status along the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America. These fish historically
provided critical ecosystem services and substantial economic benefits
to these regions. Over harvest, fish passage barriers, habitat
destruction, in combination with other factors have resulted in
extirpation of approximately 30% of Pacific and over 90% of Atlantic
salmon populations in the contiguous United States. Many of these
remaining native populations of Atlantic salmon, steelhead, and Pacific
salmon are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Significant
population declines are also occurring on both coasts in southern
Canada. This conservation crisis has resulted in extensive research on
salmon to inform management decisions associated with recovery of these
endangered populations.
There is a large and productive research effort in North America
focused on conservation of endangered salmonid populations. Numerous
partnerships are in place to facilitate collaborations among
researchers within the Pacific and Atlantic salmon research
communities. In contrast, opportunities for sharing information between
these two communities are less structured and usually occur on a small
scale.
We are organizing a symposium to bring together pairs of Pacific and
Atlantic salmonid biologists to identify areas where collaboration
between these research communities would be beneficial. Each member of
the pair will give an oral presentation synthesizing major findings for
a management or research topic from a Pacific or Atlantic salmon
viewpoint. After the symposium is completed, each pair will co-author a
manuscript to distill research from both viewpoints in an effort to
identify new perspectives or techniques to enhance recovery of
endangered salmon populations. Potential topics include: hatcheries,
pelagic ecology, smoltification, fish passage, estuarine environments,
ESA listing and recovery, dam removal, landlocked forms,
reintroductions, genetics, freshwater ecology, life history variation,
population dynamics, fisheries, contaminants, climate change, and
aquaculture.
Organizers:
William R. Ardren, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 802-872-0629, william_ardren
@fws.gov
John F. Kocik, National Marine Fisheries Service, 207-866-7341, john.kocik@noaa.gov
Call for a New AFS-GS Newsletter Editor
Hello,
Beginning professionals have a vital role to play in our section, and
their absence diminishes our collective creativity, vitality and
adaptability. My first experience with AFS Genetics was when, while a
graduate student, I volunteered as the newsletter editor. I knew almost
no one in the section (or at least, I could not associate faces with
the papers I had read). Now the time has come for me to pass this on to
someone else. I welcome any and all volunteers, but I specifically call
on those knowledgeable in a broader range of communications. While we
need someone to do a newsletter (for oldsters like I have become), I
hope that a graduate student might take on the post and expand our
efforts. Social media, texting and our own AFSGS smartphone app could
be in the future of the section…but only if you add a (very small)
amount of time and (a larger amount of) willingness to learn. If you
are interested in doing this small service, please contact myself (jcarlin@gustavus.edu)
or Bill Templin (bill.templin@alaska.gov).
I will be happy to help the new person with the next newsletter(s) if
they wish.
Meanwhile, the deadline for the August 2012 issue is on or before July
25. Send your notices, announcements and the like to Bill Templin (bill.templin@alaska.gov).
Sincerely,
Joel
Carlin AFS Genetics Section Newsletter Editor
(pro tempore)
Calendar of Upcoming Events
- June
- 6/18-22 — MCEB 2012,
the
meeting for
Mathematical and Computational
Evolutionary Biology. Hameau de L’Etoile, France. See
http://www.lirmm.fr/ mceb2012/index.php.
- 6/20 — Early registration deadline for
the 17th Summer Institute in
Statistical Genetics. To be held 9-25 July at the University
of
Washington, Seattle WA. See
http://www.biostat.washington.edu/suminst/sisg/general.
- 6/23-26 — SMBE 2012,
the Annual Meeting
of the Society for Molecular
Biology and Evolution. Convention Centre Dublin, Dublin Ireland. See
http://www.smbe2012.org/
-
July
-
7/6 – Application deadline for the 2012
Genetics Section Graduate Award in Memory of James E. Wright.
See this
issue for more details.
- 7/6-10 — Joint Congress on Evolutionary
Biology (aka ‘Evolution 2012’), includes the American
Society of
Naturalists (ASN), the Canadian Society for Ecology
and Evolution
(CSEE), the European Society for Evolutionary Biology
(ESEB), the
Society for the Study of Evolution
(SSE), and the Society of Systematic
Biologists (SSB). Ottawa Convention Centre, Ottawa ON Canada.
See
http://www.confersense.ca/Evolution2012/index.htm.
- 7/8-13 — 2012 ASLO
Aquatic Sciences
meeting. Lake Biwa, Otsu, Shiga Japan. See
http://aslo.org/meetings/japan2012/.
- 7/9-12
— Coastwide Salmonids
Genetics
2012 at UC Davis Buehler Alumni Center, Davis CA. See
http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/Coastwide/2012 _Coastwide_
Salmonid_Genetics_Meeting/Home.html.
- 7/9-25 — 17th Summer Institute in
Statistical Genetics,
University of Washington, Seattle WA. Early
registration deadline is 20 June. See
http://www.biostat.washington.edu/suminst/sisg/general.
- 7/15-18 — North American
Congress for
Conservation, sponsored by the Society for Conservation
Biology.
Oakland CA. See http://www.scbnacongress.org/.
- 7/20 — Application deadline for short
course on Multivariate data analysis for Ecology and Evolution.
Offered
5-9 November at Campus Agrario de Vairao, Vila do Conde, Portugal. See
http://webpages.icav.up.pt/AK/WEBPAGE/ multivarEE_inR.html.
- August
- 8/12-14 — Ichs and Herps 2012,
the joint
meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists,
American Elasmobranch Society, and the World Congress of Herpetology.
Vancouver BC Canada. See http://wch2012vancouver.com/index.php.
- 8/19-23
— American Fisheries Society
annual meeting at Minneapolis MN. AFS Genetics Section is
sponsoring
(entirely or in part) symposia on Role of Molecular Genetics
in
Fisheries Management in the Great Lakes Region and Teaming
up Atlantic
and Pacific Salmonid Biologists to Enhance Recovery of Endangered
Salmon in the North. See: http://www.afs2012.org/.
- September-November
- 10/2-3 — Nobel Conference 48: Our
Global Ocean. Top researchers discuss biological, chemical
and physical oceanography, Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter MN.
Simulcast on https://gustavus.edu/events/nobelconference/ 2012/.
- 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.
- 11/9 — 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.
The American Fisheries Society
Genetics Section
Newsletter
Volume 25, Issue 2
June 2012
In This Issue:
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