NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: From Genes to Ecosystems: The Genetic Underpinnings and Evolutionary and Ecological Consequences of Alternative Reproductive Tactics

Gamble, Madilyn Marisa, Hanover NH

Investigators

Abstract

Fellow's name: Madilyn Gamble Proposal number: 2208962 Research title: From genes to ecosystems: the genetic underpinnings and evolutionary and ecological consequences of alternative reproductive tactics Sponsoring scientist(s) and host institution(s): Suzanne Alonzo (University of California, Santa Cruz), Eric Palkovacs (University of California, Santa Cruz), John Carlos Garza (National Marine Fisheries Service) This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2022, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. It is common for animals of the same species to look and act differently from one another. This is surprising because members of the same species share most of their genes. Scientists seek to understand how genes and the environment affect this variation. However, few studies have focused on how genes can affect trait variation, population dynamics, and ecosystem processes all at once. This project aims to understand how variation in genes in male Steelhead trout affects female evolution, population growth, and ecosystem processes. The results will affect salmon conservation. The project will also broaden participation in science through the Fellow’s mentorship in programs serving first-generation and Hispanic undergraduates. The specific research goals of this project are to (1) quantify how the genetic architecture underlying male alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) in Steelhead trout affects female life history, fecundity, and fitness, (2) determine the degree to which sex-specific effects of ART genotypes resolve intralocus conflict over length and age at maturity, (3) model how selection on male ARTs might affect female evolution and population growth rate, and (4) project how selection on ARTs and the resulting changes in genetic variation, body size, and population growth alter freshwater ecosystem processes such as nutrient transfer and sediment transport. Together, these objectives will comprise a model for predicting how genes underlying a trait with sex-specific variation can affect the evolution of the other sex, as well as population dynamics and ecosystem function. The model will be applicable to other salmonid systems and, more broadly, to any species with genetic variation for sex-specific ARTs. Career development activities for the Fellow will include attending conferences to present findings, writing and publishing scientific manuscripts, and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students through the Center to Advance Mentored, Inquiry-Based Opportunities (CAMINO) and Doris Duke Scholars programs at the University of California, Santa Cruz. These programs share a goal of broadening participation in the fields of ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation science. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.