Título

DETECCIÓN DE "CUELLOS DE BOTELLA" EN POBLACIONES DE ALGAS PARDAS QUE SE RECUPERAN DE EVENTOS DE MORTALIDAD MASIVA

Código

C02B02

Area

CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA

Duración

3 años

Organismo de Contraparte de CONICYT: ECOS

Año de la Convocatoria: 2002

Sitio Web del Proyecto

Resumen del Proyecto

Theoretical framework: - El Niño phenomenon of 1982/83 impacted seriously the northern part of Chile. Hundreds of kilometers of coast suffered massive mortality of kelp beds. The combination of a raise in seawater temperatures (over 8 degrees Celcius above normal values) plus very low nutrients were strongly stressing. Recovery after this massive mortality has occurred at a rate of no more than 2 km per year, and following a northward orientation. In other areas of northern Chile pollution by dumping of mining effluents have also killed seashore life, also including intertidal kelps like Lessonia nigrescens. The poplation genetic structure should be deeply altered in these kind of situations.

Objectives and hypothesis- The main objective is to search co-dominant molecular markers to detect the ptential effects on the genetic structure of these kelp populations. The first hypothesis to test is the decrease in genetic polymorphism in populations recovering from the mortality after El Niño event. A second hypothesis to test is the higher genetic distance between populations separated by polluted areas compared to populations connected by continous kelp populations.

Methods- Probably bottle-neck effects can be detected on these populations, and some preliminary data obtained with RAPD markers do support this hypothesis.We postulate that co-dominant molecular markers (microsatellites) will help in a much better way to detect such effects at large and also at small spatial scales.

Expected results - At the end of the project we expect to have developped a microsatellite gene bank for the kelp species and to have tested polymorphism along the distribution of this species, including impacted and non-impacted areas.

Proyectos asociados:

FONDAP-CASEB EN LA PUC. FONDECYT 1040425 a Julio Vásquez (Co-Investigador) en Coquimbo.