Could you please forward this message to any students you might feel would
be interested in this particular project. Only EU residents would be
eligible for the studentship.

ALKIONI FISH FARM PH.D STUDENTSHIP

BROODSTOCK MANAGEMENT AND GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF THE GILTHEAD SEABREAM
(SPARUS AURATA).

This fully funded Ph.D. studentship is open to EU residents and is part of a
programme by Alkioni Fish Farms of Cyprus to develop the science base of
this new and rapidly growing industry in the Mediterranean.  The PH.D
student will be based at the Institute of Aquaculture (IoA), University of
Stirling, Scotland and will be supervised jointly by Dr Brendan McAndrew
(IOA) and Dr John Wooliams of the BBSRC Laboratory Roslin. The student will
be expected to work for up to 50% of the time at the Alkioni hatchery and
farm site in Limassol, Cyprus.

The Project will work with commercial populations of the Gilthead seabream
(Sparus auratus) which is unusual in being a protandrous hermaphrodite. The
young fish are all male and as they grow an increasing percentage become
female this poses a unique set of opportunities for the genetic improvement
of a farmed fish species. The student will help to develop the science base
required for the genetic management and selective improvement of seabream.
The student will utilise microsatellite DNA techniques for genotype and
parentage assignment and the latest Passive Integrated Transponder
technology for broodstock management and individual performance testing. By
using these tools it will be possible assign any individual at any point in
the production cycle to its parents which opens up a wide range of novel yet
cost effective selective improvement approaches.

The student will be involved in the tagging and genotyping and morphological
assessment of all commercial broodfish under light manipulated and ambient
conditions. This is a mass spawning species and a multiplexed microsatellite
genotype will be used to estimate relative parental contribution in
commercial fry production. The influence of environment and husbandry
practices on production characteristics will be assessed in commercial and
experimental populations. Selection strategies will be developed that fit
with the biology of the species and the management and physical
infrastructure of the company.

The studentship will run for three years starting in November 1999 and is
open to all EU residents. The student should have an  Honours degree (2i) or
an M.Sc in an appropriate biological science. The student will spend attend
courses at both the Institute of Aquaculture and the BBSRC Roslin and will
be expected to spend up to 50% of their time at the Alkioni Farm site in
Cyprus. During the fieldwork in Cyprus the student will have access to free
accommodation and a fully equipped laboratory and Internet access.  

Further details are available from or applications with a full CV can be
sent to- 

Dr Brendan McAndrew [log in to unmask]
Institute of Aquaculture
University of Stirling
Stirling FK9 4LA.
Tel +44 1786 467884
Fax +44 1786 442078

Closing Date for applications 25th October 1999



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