Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Lakes – Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research working with DOI management agencies in the development of genomics data to infer population connectivity among two freshwater mussel species of concern, the yellow lampmussel (YLM, Lampsilis cariosa) and tidewater mucket (TM, Atlanticoncha ochracea). The objectives of this project are: 1. Use genome skimming to obtain mitochondrial genomes and ribosomal DNA of L. cariosa and A. ochracea as well as other related species for phylogenomic analysis to clarify relationships among morphologically similar species and assure correct morphological identifications. 2. Determine levels of genetic diversity within and potential genetic structuring among YLM and TM populations across the species ranges.