Jamal Asif
Jamal used molecular techniques to study invasive species along the Pacific coast of the U.S., focusing on the mussel Musculista senhousia and the sea slug Philine. Genetic studies can reveal how many times a species was introduced and from where, helping us understand and combat the spread of non-native pests. Jamal used genetic methods to study the invasive bay mussel M. senhousia, which can form extensive mats that disrupt natural communities on shallow mudflats. He found two highly distinct populations, one from San Francisco north and one in southern California, possibly due to the gap in suitable habitat across central CA. His data indicated three distinct source populations contributed to the northern invasion, and two contributed to the invasion of southern CA and also New Zealand. Introduction from multiple, genetically distinct sources may help invasive species overcome the genetic bottleneck that would normally result from a founder event, and explain why invasions can be so successful.
A ghostly white invader in the sea slug genus Philine was reported from California a decade ago, and was tentatively identified as the New Zealand native P. auriformis based on morphology; however, this identification was controversial. Colleagues Wilma Blom and Margaret Morley collected both native New Zealand Philine species (P. auriformis and P. angazzi) for us, and Jamal sequenced a portion of the mitochondrial 16S gene to match against local Philine. DNA sequence analysis confirmed that our common invasive Philine is P. auriformis, which reaches incredible densities in habitats ranging from intertidal mudflats to the L.A. Harbor and deep water around the Channel Islands. Another invasive Philine may be P. orientalis, but we need specimens from Asia to confirm this.
Jamal gave presentations as the following conferences: