Brad S. Evans

Bio: Brad S. Evans is an academic researcher from Hobart Corporation. The author has contributed to research in topics: Population & Pinctada maxima. The author has an hindex of 17, co-authored 36 publications receiving 1030 citations. Previous affiliations of Brad S. Evans include James Cook University & University of Tasmania.

Population genetic structure of the perlemoen Haliotis midae in South Africa: evidence of range expansion and founder events

Abstract: Genetic diversity in Haliotis midae, a highly valued and heavily exploited marine gastropod, was assessed using 3 marker types across samples from the species' range in South Africa. Variation was compared at 7 allozyme loci, 2 regions of mitochondrial DNA and 3 microsatellite loci. We conclude that populations of H. midae on either side of Cape Agulhas represent 2 independent reproductive stocks. The area of transition between the stocks coincides with oceanographic features of the region. Evidence from all 3 types of genetic marker indicates an isolated introduction event to the east of Cape Agulhas, and subsequent range expansion in an easterly direction. The disparity between allozyme data and the other 2 forms is seen as further evidence for the presence of balanc- ing selection at allozyme loci.

Population genetics, larval dispersal, and connectivity in marine systems

Abstract: Population connectivity plays significant roles on both evolutionary and ecological time-scales; however, quantifying the magnitude and pattern of ex- change between populations of marine organisms is hindered by the difficulty of tracking the trajectory and fate of propagules. We explored biophysical correlates of population substructure to determine how well pelagic larval duration (PLD) correlates with population genetic estimates of connectivity in a sample of 300 published studies drawn pseudo-randomly from about 1600 hits on electronic searches. In direct contrast to the general expectation of a strong correlation, we find that average PLD is poorly correlated (r 2 < 0.1) with genetic structure (FST). Furthermore, even this weak correlation is anchored by non-pelagic dispersal, because removal of the zero PLD class (direct developers) from the analy- sis resulted in a non-significant relationship between FST and PLD. For species in which minimum, maximum, and mean PLDs were available, it is noteworthy that both minimum and maximum PLDs are better corre- lated with FST than the mean larval duration, which has been used in all such previous studies. A 3-way AN- COVA reveals that genetic marker class (allozymes, microsatellites, and mitochondrial DNA sequences), as opposed to habitat or swimming ability, explain most of the variation in FST (F = 7.113, df = 2, p = 0.001), with higher values of FST obtained from mtDNA than with either microsatellites or allozymes (which were not sig- nificantly different). Our meta-analysis refutes recent reviews and conventional wisdom that PLD is a good predictor of the magnitude of gene flow and geo- graphic scale of population structure in marine systems.

DNA Barcoding of Marine Metazoa

Abstract: More than 230,000 known species representing 31 metazoan phyla populate the world’s oceans. Perhaps another 1,000,000 or more species remain to be discovered. There is reason for concern that species extinctions may outpace discovery, especially in diverse and endangered marine habitats such as coral reefs. DNA barcodes (i.e., short DNA sequences for species recognition and discrimination) are useful tools to accelerate species-level analysis of marine biodiversity and to facilitate conservation efforts. This review focuses on the usual barcode region for metazoans: a ∼648 base-pair region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Barcodes have also been used for population genetic and phylogeographic analysis, identification of prey in gut contents, detection of invasive species, forensics, and seafood safety. More controversially, barcodes have been used to delimit species boundaries, reveal cryptic species, and discover new species. Emerging frontiers are the use of barcodes for rapid and increasingly automated biodiversity assessment by high-throughput sequencing, including environmental barcoding and the use of barcodes to detect species for which formal identification or scientific naming may never be possible.

Integrating genetic data into management of marine resources: how can we do it better?

Abstract: Molecular genetic data have found widespread application in the identification of population and conservation units for aquatic species. However, integration of genetic information into actual management has been slow, and explicit and quantitative inclusion of genetic data into fisheries models is rare. In part, this reflects the inherent difficulty in using genetic markers to draw inferences about demographic independence, which is generally the information of the greatest short-term interest to fishery managers. However, practical management constraints, institutional structures and communication issues have also contributed to the lack of integration. This paper identifies some of the organizational, conceptual and technical barriers that have hampered full use of genetics data in stock assessment and hence fishery management and outlines how such use could be enhanced.