Mikel Mendiola

Victoria University of Wellington - Te Herenga Waka, PhD Student

I finished my MSc degree in Marine Science from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute while working as a Senior Research Assistant in the Marine Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory under the Mudcrab Genomics project.

My research focused on seascape genomics, in which I examined the influence of oceanographic environment on genetic connectivity of mud crabs in the Philippines. I correlated predicted larval dispersal estimates and empirical genetic/genomic data to explain the role of ocean currents on genetic connectivity, as well as used environmental variables such as sea surface temperatures to detect signatures of local adaptation.

For the Moana project, I will employ a seascape genomics approach to understand population connectivity of Perna canaliculus (Kuku) in two sites - Ninety Mile Beach (NMB) and Bay of Plenty (BoP). One of our objectives is to identify the source populations of mussel spats along NMB and BoP, which is useful to support management and conservation of this fishery resource.