Katja Stopar

Katja Stopar has got the degree of doctor at the University of Ljubljana on Tuesday 22nd February 2012 for her successfully defensed doctoral dissertation “Genetic differentiation of scyphozoan jellyfish revealed by analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers”.

Katja Stopar has got the degree of doctor at the University of Ljubljana on Tuesday 22nd February 2012 for her successfully defensed doctoral dissertation “Genetic differentiation of scyphozoan jellyfish revealed by analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers”.

Her research work involved study of genetic relationships among populations of selected scyphozoan species – mauve stinger, barrel jellyfish and moon jelly. Scyphozoan jellyfish are members of cnidarians. Due to its more frequent and more numerous observations at costal seas in last decade they gained the interest of laic and professional public. The research was done on jellyfish samples from Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Black Sea. Results of mauve stinger phylogeographic analyses revealed one homegene population, which inhabit Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. At marginal habitats – costal ecosystems lower genetic diversity was observed than in center of colonization. Resembling pattern of genetic relationships was found among samples of barrel jellyfish from Mediterranean Sea. Intuitively was expected that genetic diversity among populations of moon jelly and barrel jellyfish was higher than in mauve stinger as first two species has alternation of generations. Phylogeographic analyses of moon jelly supported hypothesis, that this species is highly genetically structured. In European seas distant populations of moon jelly from North Sea and Black Sea were connected. Interestingly high genetic differentiation was observed among the most proximal populations of Mljet lakes and Adriatic Sea. Populations are ecologically isolated and no crossbreeding was observed. Results of this doctoral study are important contribution in understanding phylogeography of scyphozoan species and basic biological characteristics of these species and such knowledge is highly appreciated for marine environment management.

Supervisor for doctoral dissertation was doc. dr. Andreja Ramšak, board of members for doctoral dissertation defense were prof. dr. Peter Dovč (University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty), prof. dr. Alenka Malej (NIB) and prof. dr. Peter Trontelj (University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty).

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