This week Dr. Kathrin Lampert from Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany is visiting the CEI campus. Dr. Lampert is co-supervising a project in collaboration with Dr. Owen O’Shea and the Stingray Research Group at CEI, with Master of Science student Tanja Schwanck, who is investigating the sex-biased dispersal and genetic connectivity between subpopulations of southern stingrays (Hypanus americanus) around the central and northern Bahamas. During her time on our campus, Kathrin gave a presentation to Island School students and CEI staff about her work studying the genetic variability in reef building corals and upside down jellyfish (Cassiopea). She explained the processes of collecting and analysing genetic data whilst also highlighting the importance of diversity as the key to a species’ survival. Dr. Lampert also had the opportunity to spend some time in the field with Tanja and the stingray team, catching and sampling southern stingrays to collect data for Tanja’s Master’s project.
Dr. Kathrin Lampert talks to Island School students and CEI staff about the genetic variation of reef building corals.
Postgraduate student Tanja Schwanck and her Master’s thesis co-supervisor Dr. Kathrin Lampert helped to catch this large southern stingray at Long Cay, in the Exuma island chain. Dr. Lampert holds the ray whilst biological measurements and samples are taken.