Current research (Conservation and Evolutionary Ecology Group)

• Behavioural ecology and conservation genetics of Atlantic salmon
• Environmental impacts of exotic aquaculture, in particular wildlife interactions
• Evolutionary consequences of domestication and fisheries exploitation
• Improving fitness in sea-ranching and captive breeding programs

Recent publications

Garcia de Leaniz, C., Gajardo, G., & Consuegra, S. (2010). From Best to Pest: changing perspectives on the impact of exotic salmonids in the Southern Hemisphere. Systematics and Biodiversity ¿: 447-459.

Kuparinen, A., Tufto, J., Consuegra, S., Hindar, K., Merilä, J., & Garcia de Leaniz, C. (2010). Effective size of an Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) metapopulation in Northern Spain. Cons. Genetics 11: 1559-1565.

Robson, A. A., Garcia de Leaniz, C., Wilson, R. P., & Halsey, L. G. (2010). Effect of anthropogenic feeding regimes on activity rhythms of laboratory mussels exposed to natural light. Hydrobiologia 655: 197-204.

Robson, A. A., Garcia de Leaniz, C., Wilson, R. P., & Halsey, L. G. (2010). Behavioural adaptations of mussels to varying levels of food availability and predation risk. Journal of Molluscan Studies 76: 348-353.

Thomas, G. R., Taylor, J., & Garcia de Leániz, C. (2010). Captive breeding of the endangered freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera (L.). Endangered Species Research 12: 1-9.

Young, K. A., Dunham, J. B., Stephenson, J. F., Terreau, A., Thailly, A. F., Gajardo, G., & Garcia de Leaniz, C. (2010). A trial of two trouts: comparing the impacts of rainbow and brown trout on a native galaxiid. Animal Conservation 13: 399-410.

Young, K. A., Stephenson, J., Terreau, A., Thailly, A. F., Gajardo, G., & Garcia de Leaniz, C. (2009). The diversity of juvenile salmonids does not affect their competitive impact on a native galaxiid . Biological Invasions 11, 1955-1961.

Kuparinen, A., Garcia de Leaniz, C., Consuegra, S., & Merilä, J. (2009). Growth history perspective on the decreasing age and size at maturation of exploited Atlantic salmon. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 376, 245-252.

Roberts, L. J., Forman, D. W., Taylor, J., Gough, P. J., & García de Leániz, C. (2009). Night stocking facilitates nocturnal migration of hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon smolts (Salmo salar). Fish. Mgmt. Ecol. 16, 10-13.

Robson, A. A., Thomas, G. R., Garcia de Leaniz, C., & Wilson, R. P. (2009). Valve gape and exhalant pumping in bivalves: optimization of measurement. Aquatic Biology 6, 191-200.

García de Leániz, C. (2008). Weir removal in salmonid streams: implications, challenges and practicalities . Hydrobiologia 609: 83-96.

Consuegra, S. & García de Leániz, C. (2008). MHC-mediated mate choice increases parasite resistance in salmon. Proceedings Royal Society London (B). 275: 1397-1403.

Ciborowski, K. L., Consuegra, S., García de Leániz, C., Beaumont, M. A., Wang, J., & Jordan, W. C. (2007). Rare and fleeting: an example of interspecific recombination in animal mitochondrial DNA. Biology Letters 3: 554-557.

Ciborowski, K. L., Consuegra, S., García de Leániz, C., Wang, J., Beaumont, M. A., & Jordan, W. C. (2007). Stocking may increase mitochondrial DNA diversity but fails to halt the decline of endangered Atlantic salmon populations. Conservation Genetics 8: 1355-1367.

Consuegra, S. & Garcia de Leániz, C. (2007). Fluctuating sex ratios, but no sex-biased dispersal, in a promiscuous fish. Evolutionary Ecology 21: 229-245.

Garcia de Leaniz, C., Fleming, I. A., Einum, S., Verspoor, E., Jordan, W. C., Consuegra, S., Aubin-Horth, N., Lajus, D., Letcher, B. H., Youngson, A. F., Webb, J. H., Vøllestad, L. A., Villanueva, B., Ferguson, A., & Quinn, T. P. (2007). A critical review of adaptive genetic variation in Atlantic salmon: implications for conservation. Biological Reviews 82: 173-211.

Robson, A., Wilson, R., & Garcia de Leaniz, C. (2007). Mussels flexing their muscles: a new method for quantifying bivalve behaviour. Marine Biology 151: 1195-1204.

García de Leániz, C., Fleming, I. A., Einum, S., Verspoor, E., Consuegra, S., Jordan, W. C., Aubin-Horth, N., Lajus, D. L., Villanueva, B., Ferguson, A., Youngson, A. F., & Quinn, T. P. (2007). Local Adaptation . In The Atlantic Salmon: Genetics, Conservation and Management: 200-239. Verspoor, E., Stradmeyer, L. & Nielsen, J. (Ed.). Oxford: Blackwell.

Hindar, K., García de Leániz, C., Koljonen, M.-L., Tufto, J., & Youngson, A. F. (2007). Fisheries Exploitation. In The Atlantic Salmon: Genetics, Conservation and Management: 306-330. Verspoor, E., Stradmeyer, L. & Nielsen, J. (Ed.). Oxford: Blackwell.

Verspoor, E., García de Leániz, C., & McGinnity, P. (2007). Genetics and Habitat Management. In The Atlantic Salmon: Genetics, Conservation and Management: 410-434. Verspoor, E., Stradmeyer, L. & Nielsen, J. (Ed.). Oxford: Blackwell.

Garcia de Leaniz, C. & Consuegra, S. (2006). Phenotypic variation and population structuring in Atlantic salmon in fluctuating environments. Journal of Fish Biology 69: 232 (Abstract).

Garcia de Leaniz, C., Forman, D. W., Davies, S., & Thomson, A. (2006). Non-intrusive monitoring of otters (Lutra lutra) using infrared technology. Journal of Zoology (London) 270: 577-584.

Consuegra, S., García de Leániz, C., Serdio, A., & Verspoor, E. (2005). Selective exploitation of early running fish may induce genetic and phenotypic changes in Atlantic salmon. Journal of Fish Biology 67: 130-146.

Consuegra, S., Verspoor, E., Knox, D., & García de Leániz, C. (2005). Asymmetric gene flow and the evolutionary maintenance of genetic diversity in small, peripheral Atlantic salmon populations. Conservation Genetics 6: 823-842.

Verspoor, E., Beardmore, J. A., Consuegra, S., Garcia de Leániz, C., Hindar, K., Jordan, W. C., Koljonen, M.-L., Mahkrov, A. A., Paaver, T., Sánchez, J. A., Skaala, Ø., Titov, S., & Cross, T. F. (2005). Genetic protein variation in the Atlantic salmon: population insights gained from 40 years of research. Journal of Fish Biology 67: 3-54.

 

PhD Students

Delphine VanHaecke (Aberystwyth University; in collaboration with Dr. S. Consuegra and Prof. C. Thomas)

Landscape Genetics of Salmonid Invasions in the Southern Hemisphere

Gethin R. Thomas (in collaboration with the Environment Agency Wales)

Conservation strategies for the endangered freshwater pearl mussel

Laura J. Roberts (NERC-CASE in collaboration with the Environment Agency Wales)

Improving the survival and fitness of hatchery-reared salmonids in restoration programmes

 

Recent and current research funding

 

2010-2011. Protecting galaxiids from salmonid invasions in Chile and the Falklands. DEFRA Darwin Initiative Post-Project Award (http://www.biodiversity.cl)

2008-2010. SALSEA-MERGE . Advancing understanding of Atlantic salmon at sea: merging genetics and ecology to resolve stock-specific migration and distribution patterns EU FP7 (http://www.nasco.int/sas/salseamerge.htm)   . 

2007-08. Use of microsatellite genetic markers to evaluate the effectiveness of stocking early stage salmon fry in the upper Welsh Dee: a pilot study. Environment Agency Wales & Welsh Assembly Government

2007. Conservation strategies for Falkland Islands freshwater fish biodiversity DEFRA Darwin Scoping Award.

2006-2009. Reducing the Impact of Exotic Aquaculture on Chilean Aquatic Biodiversity. DEFRA Darwin Initiative (http://www.biodiversity.cl)

2006-2007. The importance of sexual selection and sperm competition for salmonid stock enhancement. The Atlantic Salmon Trust.

2006.  MHC diversity and parasite resistance in wild and domesticated Atlantic salmon. The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

2006. Assessing  the abundance and spawning migrations of Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout with the aid of infra-red Vaki counters. The Middle Dee Group.

 

 

Other Responsibilities

MSc admissions tutor

MSc pastoral and academic tutor

Biological Sciences representative in the School PG Committee

Senior Lecturer in Aquaculture