New developments in the field of genomic technologies and their relevance to conservation management

Abstract

Recent technological advances in the field of genomics offer conservation managers and practitioners new tools to explore for conservation applications. Many of these tools are well developed and used by other life science fields, while others are still in development. Considering these technological possibilities, choosing the right tool(s) from the toolbox is crucial and can pose a challenging task. With this in mind, we strive to inspire, inform and illuminate managers and practitioners on how conservation efforts can benefit from the current genomic and biotechnological revolution. With inspirational case studies we show how new technologies can help resolve some of the main conservation challenges, while also informing how implementable the different technologies are. We here focus specifically on small population management, highlight the potential for genetic rescue, and discuss the opportunities in the field of gene editing to help with adaptation to changing environments. In addition, we delineate potential applications of gene drives for controlling invasive species. We illuminate that the genomic toolbox offers added benefit to conservation efforts, but also comes with limitations for the use of these novel emerging techniques.

Reviving ghost alleles: Genetically admixed coyotes along the American Gulf Coast are critical for saving the endangered red wolf

“…We have the tools to integrate ancestry estimates with ancestry block metrics (e.g., length and identity) to estimate the timing of which such events occurred. Our findings can provide a hopeful precedent for other conservation situations that face challenges due to introgression, such as the Przewalski’s horse ( 40 ) and European wild cats ( 41 , 42 ). We encourage conservation practitioners to go beyond species concepts and pioneer a vision that leverages admixture to provide endangered genomes with the best possible probability for survival in our rapidly changing world.…”

The relevance of genetic structure in ecotype designation and conservation management

“…These insights can complement genome‐wide measures of diversity and facilitate proactive conservation planning. For example, by informing timely conservation actions such as biobanking and genetic rescue (Segelbacher et al, 2021 ). We suggest a framework for resolution that capitalizes on the rapidly increasing knowledge of adaptive genetic variation and relates this diversity to persistent phenotypic differences associated with environmental variation.…”

Resurrecting biodiversity: advanced assisted reproductive technologies and biobanking

“…However, this also results in the selection of species which already lack genetic diversity within their populations and therefore have limited prospects for meaningful conservation intervention and recovery, ultimately resulting in a limited conservation value of cryobanking such species ( Hobbs et al 2019 ). However, it is possible that gene editing techniques, such as CRISPR-Cas9 ( Doudna & Charpentier 2014 ), may help overcome these problems in the future; but, many ethical considerations will need to be observed ( Johnson et al 2016 , Segelbacher et al 2021 ).…”