Molecular methods for the determination of copepod species identity and the development status of early embryos

Identification of marine zooplankton at the species level poses a persistent problem, especially for juvenile stages. This research aims both to simplify existing molecular identification systems for Calanus spp. and to expand it to include other common copepods. The potential sequence variation within non-coding spacer regions for use as population markers is also investigated.

A second major problem for zooplankton ecologists is the measurement of secondary production and recruitment. Using an array of candidate genes already cloned within the laboratory, the molecular analysis systems to determine egg viability and to examine the effect of environmental factors on the expression of key genes expressed early in development, are being developed.