Halmos Faculty Publishes Article on Shrimp Migration in the Gulf of Mexico

This February, Halmos faculty member Matthew Johnston, Ph.D. co-authored the journal article, “Comparative Population Genomics and Biophysical Modeling of Shrimp Migration in the Gulf of Mexico Reveals Current-Mediated Connectivity” in Frontiers in Marine Science.

The article discusses their integrated study of comparative population genomics and biophysical oceanography. They analyzed genetic diversity and population connectivity of three species of mesopelagic shrimp common to the Gulf of Mexico, using them as proxies for species health and resilience, respectively. They simulated a range of vertical migratory behaviors for the shrimp to infer the relationship between diel vertical migration and horizontal transmission between the Gulf of Mexico and the greater Atlantic Ocean. This study aims to establish biological baselines and characterize these values in terms of the prevailing oceanographic feature of the midwater: the Gulf Loop Current.