Ichthyology Research Associate Graham Short

E-mail: GShort@CalAcademy.org

My research interests are centered on the evolution, phylogeography, and systematics of fish in the Syngnathidae family. I study the evolutionary relationships among seahorse and pipefish species through morphology and DNA sequencing. This entails collecting syngnathids via netting and scuba diving out in the field from Australia to the Caribbean, observing via photography, and extracting DNA for sequencing in the lab.

Current projects include collecting rare genera of pipefish in Australia and the South Pacific to fill in some gaps in our phylogeny, and applying next generation sequencing to our existing syngnathid phylogeny using Ultra Conservative Elements.

Collecting in New Caledonia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VInhkUfYTEI#t=0

As morphology is important to the identification of syngnathids, I take many underwater photos for observation and study, please see my collection at http://chowderbaymarinelife.com/ and http://oceandiscover.com/.

I recently launched Sciworthy.com, a new science news platform for scientists (grad students, post-docs, Ph.Ds) to summarize and share their scientific research papers with friends, fellow scientists, and the general public. Please see a detailed description at http://www.scilogs.com/communication_breakdown/graham-short-sciworthy/. I wanted an effective way to communicate my research as well as that of other scientists in order to educate and engage the public about current scientific research.