Genetics symposium at the Larval Fish Conference

Lorenz Hauser is organizing a symposium titled, “Larval dispersal and population connectivity – genetic approaches to ecological problems,” at the 39th Annual Larval Fish Conference in Vienna, Austria, which will be held 12-17 July 2015. Registration and abstract submission are now open, and deadline for abstracts is 3 May. Please click (link removed) for more information.

Keynote speaker: Serge Planes – “What have we learnt regarding connectivity from parentage analysis”.

Abstract: Much of our knowledge on population connectivity in fishes with pelagic larvae stems from genetic approaches, either by indirectly inferring gene flow among populations or by directly estimating dispersal by parentage or population assignment. Our understanding of larval connectivity and its relationship with physical, biological and genetic factors has so greatly improved in recent years, allowing wider application of results in conservation and management. Nevertheless, much remains unknown, for example, correspondence of spatial and temporal scales in ecology and evolution, and the fate of dispersing individuals. In this theme session, we will discuss potential and challenges of genetic approaches to the investigation of larval dispersal and ecology, and especially opportunities arising from recently developed high-throughput genetic technologies. We particularly encourage empirical studies directly on larval fish, though population genetic studies are also welcome.