New insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying behaivioral variation in wild marine fish
Humans depend on great measure on the welfare of marine ecosystems, not only from the retribution obtained directly from
resource harvesting but also from the benefits derived from healthy ecosystems (i.e. quality of natural resources, biodiversity
maintenance, and ecosystem resilience to anthropogenic challenges). Traditionally, management efforts to preserve marine
resources only contemplated morphological traits of the individuals (e.g. body size). However, more evidence is piling up on
the importance of behaviour on biodiversity conservation. Traits such as exploration, boldness, and activity have a strong
impact on the individual`s reproductive success, thus determining species survival. As other phenotypical traits, fish
behaviour is determined in great measure by its genetic basis. In this project, we propose studying the genetic mechanisms
underlying fish behavioural types. We will use a unique dataset based on state-of-the-art fish-tracking data that provides
long-term behavioural data in situ for hundreds of free-living fish at unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution. We will
complement the behavioural data set with advanced genetic and genomic techniques to find phenotype-genotype
associations by: i) studying the sequence variants of candidate genes, ii) studying the location and abundance of target
proteins in fish brain structures, iii) obtaining multiple brain transcriptomes from individuals showing distinct behavioural
types. The multidisciplinary nature of the project, combining novel behavioural data collection with next generation genomic
techniques, will provide a broad overview of the molecular basis of behavioural characterization. The proposed activities will
open a new line of research in behavioural molecular ecology unprecedented in marine ecosystems. Our results will provide
insight into the molecular basis of behaviour in marine fish, thus leading to a qualitative jump forward in fisheries
management and behavioural biology.