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Ami E. Wilbur, Director, UNCW Shellfish Hatchery & Associate Professor

Ph.D., Marine Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 1995
M.S., Biology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 1987
B.S., Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, 1985
Myrtle Grove 2326 | (910) 962-2389 | Center for Marine Science, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane, Wilmington, NC 28409 | wilbura@uncw.edu

My research focuses on the application of modern molecular techniques to basic and applied questions in shellfish genetics and mariculture. I am particularly interested in the development and application of genetic markers to resolve issues in the design, implementation, and evaluation of culture efforts, and fisheries management practices involving marine bivalve molluscs. Currently I am working as part of a multidisciplinary effort to restore and enhance populations of bay scallops (Argopecten irradians) on Florida's Gulf Coast. We are producing scallops in a hatchery for stocking in areas that historically supported large populations of bay scallops, with the goal of stimulating the natural production of larvae, and subsequent recruitment. I am using modern molecular genetic techniques to develop methods to identify the progeny of the stocked scallops among new recruits collected in the vicinity of the stocking, in an effort to assess the success of these enhancement efforts. Other ongoing projects involve the analysis of population structure and local adaptation in species of coastal fish (ie. Atlantic silversides, Menidia) and shellfish (ie. Eastern oyster, Crassostrea, blue crabs, Callinectes).

Seyoum, S; TM Bert, AE Wilbur, CCrawford and WS Arnold. 2003. Development, assessment, and application of a mitochondrial DNA genetic tag for the bay scallop (Argopecten irradians). Journal of Shellfish Research 22:11-118

DiMeo, CA, AE Wilbur, WE Holben, RA Feldman, RC Vrijenhoek and SC Cary. 2000. Genetic variation among endosymbionts of widely distributed Vestimentiferan tubeworms. Appl. Enviro. Micro. 66: 651-658

Sipe, AR, AE Wilbur and SC Cary. 2000. Bacterial symbiont transmission in the wood boring bivalve Bankia setacea (Fm Teredinidae). Appl. Enviro. Micro. 66:1685-1691

ÓFoighil, D, PM. Gaffney, AE Wilbur and TJ Hilbish. 1998. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene sequences support an Asian origin for the Portuguese oyster, Crassostrea angulata. Mar. Bio. 131:497-504

Wilbur, AE, EA Orbacz, JR Wakefield and PM Gaffney. 1997. Mitochondrial genotype variation in a Siberian population of the Japanese scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis (Jay). J. Shellfish Res. 16:541-545

Wilbur, AE and PM Gaffney. 1997. A genetic basis for geographic variation in shell morphology in the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians. Mar. Bio. 128:97-105