Genetic analyses show it is easy to mistake species of marlin

A newly published study led by Samuel Williams used genetic analyses to show that the numbers of marlin caught by various fisheries worldwide may be incorrect. Without features such as fins and bills (that are commonly removed to prepare product for market), even the experts have great difficulty in correctly identifying marlin species. This is a problem because counts of individuals are used to monitor fishing impact on populations. Mistakes at this level can lead to incorrect assessments of the capacity of the populations to sustain fishing.

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Congratulations to Sam for completing the requirements for the award of PhD at the University of Queensland.

Caption: Julian Pepperell (left) and Sam working with harvested marlin.