University of Groningen
The role of visual adaptation in cichlid fish speciation
Wright, Daniel Shane
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Publication date: 2019
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Wright, D. S. (2019). The role of visual adaptation in cichlid fish speciation. University of Groningen.
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Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
Science is many things: it’s exciting, frustrating, often serendipitous, and, on occasion, it can even break your heart. Above all, however, it’s collaborative. This thesis is the perfect example - my name may be on the cover but so many have contributed along the way. Without their help, I would not be at this point. Thus, I must acknowledge those who have made this work possible:
First, to my supervisor, Martine Maan: I cannot thank you enough for a wonderful PhD experience. Over the past 4.5 years, you have led by example, showing me how to be researcher, teacher, supervisor, and colleague. You have pushed me to learn new techniques, challenged me to defend my ideas, and inspired me to achieve goals I never thought possible. Most importantly, you gave me freedom to work and empowered me to take charge of my own path. For this, and for so much more, I am forever grateful. I am a better scientist and a better person because of our time together. Thank you.
To my second supervisor, Ton Groothuis: our interactions may have been less frequent but your influence on this work has been second to none. Your input consistently pushed me to think ‘outside of the box’ and our meetings were a constant source of motivation. Your question driven perspective of science has helped me realize that we need not be limited to one particular model or system. Thank you for being a part of this project.
To Ole Seehausen: thank you for your guidance and for challenging me to know this topic and system better. I must also thank you for the opportunity to join your field team at the beginning of my PhD. The knowledge I gained from that trip has been invaluable to the success of this thesis. To the members of that field team: Jacco van Rijssel, Oliver Selz,
Florian Moser, and Joana Meier, thanks for all the help! To the Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology and the Tanzanian Fisheries Research Institute: thanks for
research permission and for the hospitality and facilities while working at Lake Victoria.
Gerard Overkamp: when I say thank you for everything, I mean everything! Your
assistance in aquarium matters, experimental design, electrical issues, animal care, and so much more has made this thesis possible. It’s safe to say that I, as well as the rest of us on the first floor (and beyond), succeed because of your help. Thank you for all that you do. Working with fish is a full-time job; daily feeding, cleaning, and maintenance is enough to fill an entire week. Luckily, I’ve had excellent help. To Martijn Salomons and the entire
animal care team, thank for everything. In particular, I must thank Sjoerd Veenstra and Brendan Verbeek. The two of you have been an indispensable resource in the aquarium, not
only for fish care, but also as a source of knowledge and camaraderie. For this, I cannot thank you enough. I have thoroughly enjoyed our time working together. Apologizes for having never learned Dutch. Nonetheless, heel hartelijk bedankt!
Roel van Eijk; thank you for making the molecular aspects of this thesis easier. Having you
to develop protocols and troubleshoot allowed me to do much more than I would have otherwise. I know from experience that the life of a technician is not always the easiest - thank you.
I had the pleasure of working with many excellent students and I must mention each of them:
Serena Le Double, Wicher Vos, Lucía Irazábal González, Sidney Kloek, Frank Luijckx, Chantal Arling, Franka Wijngaarden, Carlijn Sluiter, Marina Boon, Mark Reuvers, Demi Damstra, Thomas Scheffers, Kasper Meijer, Denise Roffel, Flemming Versloot, Belen Marin Fernandez, Titus Hielkema, Silke Scheper, Peter Groen, Roos Kuiters, Emma Rietveld, Roy Meijer, Lisa Schuart, and Miguel Silva. No matter the level or length
of time we worked together, I challenged each of you to contribute to the progression of the lab. This was a resounding success. Your hard work and dedication helped me explore countless ideas and this thesis is better because of it. In fact, many of you even contributed as co-authors! Thank you for your time, thank you for your effort, and thank you for putting up with me as your supervisor. I hope you enjoyed it much as I did!
To my fellow fish team members Tiziana Gobbin, Elodie Wilwert, and Gerrit Potkamp: our time together may have been variable but I have enjoyed it all nonetheless. For over a year, I was the sole member of the fish team and I must say, life with lab mates is much better! Thank you for allowing me to share my knowledge of fish and aquarium work. It’s been a joy to watch each of you step into this system and succeed. I leave the lab knowing it is in excellent hands and I am excited to see your own theses in the future.
Jean-Christophe Billeter: we first met when I came to interview five years ago. I was
immediately struck by your passion and enthusiasm for science and still am to this day. You are truly an example of the scientist of I hope to become. Thank you for treating me as if I were part of your own lab and for welcoming Whitney and I so warmly.
To my fellow first floor residents, members of the old Behavioural Biology group, the more recent EGDB expertise group, and countless others throughout Linnaeusborg, thank you. Your collective input and critical minds made this thesis better. Thank you for all the fun times, for help throughout the years, and for generally making my time in Groningen a joy.
The reading committee for this thesis consisted of Becky Fuller (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Mike Ritchie (University of St. Andrews), and Franjo Weissing (University of Groningen). Thanks to each of you for reading and evaluating my thesis. Finally, to my family: the love and support ALL of you have shown to me is the reason I
Acknowledgements
Together, you have collectively pushed me to dream big and then assured me that, without a doubt, I can achieve those dreams. It is because of this unwavering support, this constant source of encouragement and positivity, that I stand at this point today. There is no better example of this than my parents: Butch & Marsha. Thank you for always being there, to encourage and support me in everything I do. You empowered me to believe that anything was possible and that my goals, no matter how high or far from home, were within reach. The two of you are the epitome of love and dedication and have daily exemplified the value of hard work. Thank you for being the best parents ever!
Last, but certainly not least, to my wife, Whitney: thank you for being my rock, my shoulder to lean to on, my ear to complain to, and, most importantly, my source of strength to push further. Without you, this PhD would not have been possible. You encouraged our move to another country, supported me as I left for fieldwork, accompanied me on countless weekend trips to Zernike, and, on occasion, even read a bit of this thesis. It takes a special type of person to deal with the hassles of a PhD - you are that and so much more. Of course, I’d be amiss to not also mention our little bundle of joy (cat), Meatball, who, despite being moved internationally and then consequently lost outside for two weeks, has remained my faithful companion throughout.
Five years ago, Whitney and I moved to Groningen so that I could pursue this PhD opportunity. Looking back, I now realize how much this decision has affected both of our lives. Initially, Groningen (and the Netherlands) presented a challenge, an exciting opportunity to push ourselves to be the type of internationals we’d always wanted. Upon arrival, however, we found that this could not have been further from the truth. Groningen wasn’t a challenge, it was our new home – the openness of Dutch society was an immediate comfort. Since that time, Groningen has served as the backdrop for countless memories, lifelong friendships, and a spring board to explore cities and countries throughout the world. Groningen has truly changed our lives. Moving forward, I cannot predict where we will go or what we will do, but one thing is certain: I will forever cherish my time at the University of Groningen.
