Co-Convenors:

Erica Goetze (University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA)
Ryuji Machida (Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, USA)
Katja Peijnenburg (Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Invited Speaker:

Carol Eunmi Lee (Center of Rapid Evolution (CORE), University of Wisconsin, USA)

Molecular techniques have provided important insights into a number of aspects of zooplankton ecology. For example, genetic markers have been used to characterize the population structure of zooplankton species, to assess the phylogenetic relationships among extant taxa, and to test the specificity of their trophic niche. Phylogeographic studies have also added a historical perspective to understanding contemporary species distributions and demography. New zooplankton species are being discovered via molecular studies, and research in DNA Barcoding and community meta-genetics promises to greatly accelerate efforts to assess zooplankton diversity in a range of ocean environments. These diverse ongoing research lines rely on both conventional and emerging molecular techniques, and address long-standing questions in biological oceanography. The purpose of this workshop is to assess the current state-of-the-field of molecular and genomic studies of marine zooplankton, and to discuss key research areas that could be significantly advanced through creative application of existing and emerging molecular techniques. For example, we are interested in how molecular approaches could inform interdisciplinary studies of (1) the effect of changing climate on zooplankton physiology, distribution, or feeding ecology, (2) the role of biodiversity in ecosystem function, and (3) the role of mesozooplankton in structuring pelagic food webs through trophic ecology, among others. We envision a workshop with a number of short presentations from the variety of active research areas in zooplankton molecular ecology, followed by discussion focused on specific research questions.