Distributional changes of marine organisms in response to climate change have been observed across a wide range of marine species. However, these changes are not a new phenomenon. Throughout the Quaternary period, the earth´s climate has fluctuated periodically, from periods of extended ice coverage where organisms retreated into climatically suitable refugia, to warmer periods where the ice retreated to the poles and organisms expanded their distribution. As a result of these fluctuations, populations´ genetic diversity is often distributed unevenly, with refugial areas harbouring a large proportion of total diversity, vital for the species persistence and adaptive potential.
The aim of this internship is to compile available genetic data for deep-water corals. The compilation of genetic data may enable the detection of patterns of intraspecific genetic diversity variation across species, identifying hotspots of genetic diversity. The student will be guided and trained to perform data collection and handling, with a possibility of publishing the results.
