Thesis defense: 'The evolutionary ecology of kokanee and trophic dynamics of mercury ecotoxicology in a unique, nonanadromous ecosystem,' March 1

Friday, March 1, 3:30 p.m.
ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building, Room 120

Kyle Shedd, graduate student in Biological Sciences, will defend his thesis, "The evolutionary ecology of kokanee and trophic dynamics of mercury ecotoxicology in a unique, nonanadromous ecosystem" on Friday, March 1. The graduate committee will include Frank von Hippel, Ph.D., advisor and professor for the Department of Biological Sciences.

Shedd on his thesis:
"The first chapter of this project seeks to test the hypothesis of the recent evolution of trophic polymorphism in Jo-Jo Lake kokanee by examining their diet, morphology and genetic structure. Specifically, I have (1) further characterized the unique kokanee diets described by Miller et al. (2007) using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis to test for evidence of a stable trophic polymorphism, (2) described morphological differences between the putative ecotypes through geometric-morphometric analysis, and (3) determined if the kokanee morphs represent genetically distinct populations. In the second chapter, I interpreted trophic patterns of mercury, a pervasive environmental contaminant and neurotoxin, both intra- and inter-specifically in several representative aquatic species. Utilizing stable isotope analysis to distinguish nutrient flow between two distinct food webs, I tested the hypothesis that foraging in the limnetic food web results in higher mercury concentrations than in the benthic food web."

For more information, visit the Department of Biological Sciences website.