New insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying behavioural 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.