Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation pose the largest threats to biodiversity and accounts for alarming extinction rates in ecosystems worldwide. This is particularly true within tropical regions, which harbor the bulk of the world's biodiversity and where organisms are structured within highly complex communities. With the advent of hypervariable microsatellite markers, it is now possible to uniquely identify individuals (and in some cases their gametes) and place them within a larger ecological and microevolutionary context. This ability has research ramifications at almost every level of biological organization. For example, at the landscape level, direct measures of immigration based on genetic markers permit real time estimation of gene flow and how it varies across a heterogeneous environment. This is fundamental information if we are to fully appreciate the ecological effects of habitat fragmentation. At the individual level, highly variable molecular markers are often the only way to determine important demographic components of population models, such as mating system, individual variation in reproductive success, and movement.

The Molecular Ecology, Evolution and Genetics Program (MEEG) is charged with applying molecular genetic techniques to focal questions about the ecology, evolution, and conservation of tropical organisms. To achieve this goal, the MEEG has developed three three core projects:

 

Core projects serve several purposes. Foremost, they are designed around key scientific issues directly related to the conservation and management of threatened or fragmented species in Puerto Rico. Projects are intended to be models of how to integrate ecological and behavioral data with high definition molecular markers. Although projects focus on different organisms, each utilizes the ability to uniquely genotype individuals to answer specific questions about mating systems, individual reproductive success, and migration. Second, projects are designed to stimulate further research in tropical ecology and conservation at UPR. Core projects are synergistic collaborations that extend the research efforts of several groups within Puerto Rico. The ideas, methods, and data generated by each core project, coupled with those generated through our Student Exchange Program will further increase collaboration and stimulate joint research endeavors. The MEEG program offers unique research opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students interested in conservation and genetics.