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UID:pretalx-nss-convention-2026-AFK7SD@talks.caving.dev
DTSTART;TZID=EST:20260708T081000
DTEND;TZID=EST:20260708T083000
DESCRIPTION:Understanding and preserving genetic diversity is vital for ens
 uring species persistence\, particularly in the face of pervasive threats 
 such as global climate change and habitat loss. This is especially true fo
 r groundwater fauna\, whose ranges are often restricted and populations hi
 ghly vulnerable to extinction. Population genetic studies of subterranean 
 species often reveal cryptic species complexes\, which further elevate con
 servation concerns by revealing even smaller ranges and population sizes t
 han previously recognized.\n\nWithin the Upper Floridan Aquifer\, the Geor
 gia Blind Salamander (Eurycea wallacei) and Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish 
 (Cambarus cryptodytes) are iconic yet threatened taxa that often co-occur 
 at many sites across the Marianna Lowlands and Dougherty Plain of Florida 
 and Georgia. These species provide a unique opportunity to examine how gro
 undwater connectivity shapes population structure and to test for cryptic 
 diversity in co-occurring groundwater specialists. Here\, we combine mitoc
 hondrial DNA\, population genetic\, and nuclear genomic (UCE) approaches t
 o assess levels of genetic diversity within and among populations of both 
 species.\n\nOur analyses reveal patterns of genetic structure that reflect
  both local hydrogeologic conditions and broader regional aquifer connecti
 vity. By identifying population boundaries\, levels of connectivity\, and 
 potential cryptic lineages\, this study fills critical knowledge gaps in t
 he biology of two imperiled subterranean species. These results provide a 
 foundation for adaptive conservation and management strategies not only fo
 r E. wallacei and C. cryptodytes\, but also for groundwater biodiversity i
 n general.
DTSTAMP:20260826T232115Z
LOCATION:205
SUMMARY:Examining genetic diversity and potential cryptic diversity within 
 the Georgia Blind Salamander and the Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish of the 
 Upper Floridan Aquifer - 
URL:https://talks.caving.dev/nss-convention-2026/talk/AFK7SD/
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