Santa Cruz Island Reserve

17 Nov, 12 PM - 18 Nov, 03 PM

Our group will be sampling tissue from the giant owl limpet, Lottia gigantea, for whole genome sequencing. This will be for a project investigating the eco-evolutionary dynamics of a recent climate-driven range expansion in the species. We aim to characterise genomic variation across the range to identify source populations for recruits at the expanding northern edge, genomic targets of selection, and shifts in genomic variation across space and time. Conducting research on Santa Cruz Island is important, as its been previously shown that the size structures in L. gigantea populations significantly differ between island and mainland sites (Sagarin et al. 2006, Marine Biology). As L. gigantea are an intensely harvested species, our project has a paired sampling design, including accessible vs. protected sites, which is why including the hard-to-access sites on Santa Cruz Island is offer unique insights for the study. Within Santa Cruz Island Reserve we hope to collect DNA samples from L. gigantea from two sites: Fourneys Cove and Willows Anchorage. We propose to use non-invasive methods to collect tissue from 45 owl limpets per site to prepare for whole genome sequencing. As only a very small amount of DNA is required for sequencing, it is not necessary to collect or sacrifice the animal. Instead the owl limpet will be carefully removed from the rock with a microspatula and a swab will be used in the field to gently rub the bottom of the foot to collect mucus and loose cells. Owl limpets will then be returned to the rock surface immediately (within 2 minutes).

Visit #73799 @Santa Cruz Island Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 47585 | Research

Evolutionary and ecological dynamics of a contemporary climate-driven range expansion

research_scientist - University of California, Davis

Reservation Members(s)

Erica Nielsen Nov 17 - 18, 2021 (2 days)
Samuel Walkes Nov 17 - 18, 2021 (2 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Dock to Reserve Round-Trip 2 Nov 17 - 18, 2021
Vehicle Use - By Day 1 Nov 17 - 18, 2021
Vehicle Mileage 20 Nov 17 - 18, 2021
Private Room 2 Nov 17 - 18, 2021