Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: California
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

California Project


Using genomics to elucidate local adaptation among isolated populations of the endangered tidewater goby

January 2020 - December 2022


Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • US Fish and Wildlife Service

This study will conduct genome scans of tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi) from across the geographic range of the species to determine if there is evidence of local adaptation. Local adaptation is defined as when populations of a species have evolved higher fitness in a local environment than other members of the same species. Using the first ever de novo genome assembly that we will develop for tidewater goby, we will compare tidewater goby samples from the extremes of geographic range (3 populations from northern and southern California, respectively) for evidence of local adaptation. For this project, we will partner with researchers at Humboldt State University and the University of California Los Angeles. Determining if tidewater goby exhibit local adaptation is important for conservation and management because this information is needed to determine if isolated tidewater goby populations warrant recognition as conservation units. Also, this information is needed to inform reintroduction or augmentation programs and assess the extent that tidewater goby populations will be able to respond to climate change.