Craig Marshall

University of Otago

Marine and terrestrial organisms are likely to have been exposed to quite different environments since Antarctica separated from the rest of Gondwana.  Marine systems are well mixed and allow easy movement of individuals from place to place.  Despite this, notothenioid fish dominate the Antarctic fish fauna and form a species flock implying that some mechanism must exist to isolate individual populations.  Marine invertebrates such as echinoderms and pcynogonids seem to be less diverse and more similar to species found in the adjoining landmasses.  In contrast, land organisms inhabit ice-free refugia that comprise only a few percent of the area of the continent.  Animals from these areas may show much stronger regional variation and a different pattern on speciation.  In this programme, we will collect material from both marine and terrestrial animals to determine their phylogenetic histories.

Metadata and website links

Using labelled antifreeze proteins placed in the gut of notothenioid fish to determine the path they take from the gut to the blood

The identification, function and cold adaptation of the proteins/enzymes in Antarctic fish from the amount and distribution of lactate dehydrogenase from seven different tissues

Blood samples analysed for albumin to determine if the lack of this protein serum is common to the notothenioid fish group

Fish tissue samples for use in phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies of notothenioid fish

Distribution and freeze tolerance testing of nematodes around Cape Hallett and Terra Nova Bay

Ecophysiological experiments on the sprintail Grissitacantha terranova to determine genetic variation, antifreeze proteins and cold tolerance studies

Soil, nematode, and springtail sample collection from Granite Harbour

Craig's webpage