Genetic variations in marine natural population - Measurement and utility in resource management and conservation: A review

Abstract

A number of molecular and biochemical tools which can be applied to the identification of species and the detection of genetic variation within species have been developed in recent years. All these methods rely on the ability to distinguish between variants of specific genes (DNA) or their gene products (such as RNA or proteins). The technique of gel electrophoresis coupled with histochemical staining of specific proteins (isozymes) has been widely applied in population biology. This paper reviews the laboratory methods and genetic interpretation of gel phenotypes along with statistical methods for data analysis. The applications and perspectives for identifying and protecting genetic variation within and among marine populations are discussed in the light of studies undertaken on fishes collected from different areas of the marine environment of India.