Kelly Tarlton's Scholarship

Mélianie Raymond
Departments of Zoology and Biochemistry, University of Otago, PhD

Diversity and survival strategies in nematodes from the Ross Sea region

This project intends to sample nematodes from the Cape Hallett region, returning to New Zealand with live specimens for further investigation into the survival of intracellular ice formation. In doing so it will also be possible to address some important conservation issues. The sampling of previously uninvestigated sites will provide the opportunity to discover new species or species assemblages, and will develop our knowledge of nematode distribution critical to the effective designation of protected sites. Genetic analysis of nematodes from isolated ice-free refuges will enable the assessment of gene flow between populations, allowing the impact of dispersal due to human activity to be considered.