2013 - University College Cork

RESEARCH PROJECTS
Aquaculture and Fisheries
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BEAUFORT MARINE RESEARCH AWARD:
FISH POPULATION GENETICS
Research Centre/Department/School:
AFDC, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Contact PI: Dr Phil McGinnity (Principal Investigator), (p.mcginnity@ucc.ie)
Prof. Tom Cross (Grantee), (t.cross@ucc.ie)
Researchers: Dr Jamie Coughlan, Dr Jens Carlsson,
Dr Eileen Dillane, Ms Ciar O’Toole (PhD student)
Start Year: 2007 – End Year: 2014
Funding Body: The Beaufort Marine Research Award is carried
out under the Sea Change Strategy and the Strategy for Science
Technology and Innovation (2006-2013), with the support of
the Marine Institute, funded under the Marine Research Sub-
Programme of the National Development Plan 2007–2013.
Funding: €2,710,236
Collaborating Partners: UCC, QUB
Web: http://afdc.ucc.ie
Five strategic areas were selected for funding through the Beaufort Award Programme. One of
these was in the area of fish population genetics. The project has sought to build research capacity;
to establish an all-island research centre of excellence (a key objective for the Sea Change
programme); to conduct high quality research in the area of fish population genetics; to advise the
industry on genetic aspects of the management of fisheries and aquaculture resources to ensure
sustainability and conservation; to establish national and international networks; to publish high
quality relevant papers. The most notable achievements in the first three years of the project are a
fully integrated North South fish population genetics research team, working in partnership with
the state agencies responsible for fisheries management and conservation; A successful programme
of grant acquisition with €1.85m in leveraged grants in addition to the €1.6m received to date via the
award; This group has produced 60 scientific manuscripts for publication (55 of which are now in
the peer-reviewed literature with the remaining 5 in review), 20 non peer publications and reports,
71 oral presentations and supporting 18 postgraduate projects (ten PhDs and nine MSc’s). Several
of these achievements received widespread media coverage: parthenogenesis in sharks; genetic
tagging of lobsters; predictions of impact of climate change on salmon; genetic based forensic
identification of mislabelled smoked salmon.
KEY PUBLICATIONS AND OUTPUTS
Details of publications can be provided on request.