Bridging Conservation Genetics & Policy

Bridging Conservation Genetics and Policy

Global conservation policy and action has largely neglected protecting and monitoring genetic diversity - one of the three main pillars of biodiversity. Genetic diversity (diversity within species) underlies species’ adaptation and survival, ecosystem resilience, and societal innovation. The low priority given to genetic diversity has largely been due to (i) knowledge gaps in key areas including the importance of genetic diversity and the trends in genetic diversity change, (ii) perceived high expense, low availability, and scattered nature of genetic data, and (iii) complicated concepts and information that are inaccessible to policy makers. However, numerous recent advances in knowledge, technology, databases, practice, and capacity have now set the stage for better integration of genetic diversity in policy instruments and conservation efforts.

As a member of the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) Genetic Composition Working Group (GCWG) and the Coalition for Conservation Genetics I am currently working with a diverse group of geneticists and policy experts to help bridge this gap. The GCWG is working to support, aggregate and leverage broad scale genetic biodiversity monitoring data, and develop standards, metadata definitions, and open data platforms. The working group is focused on establishing reliable Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), proxies, and indicators for genetic diversity monitoring at large scales (regional, national, and global). The focus also includes understanding genetic diversity in relation to other levels of biodiversity (species, traits, ecosystems) and documenting change over time. The group is currently working to improve consideration of genetic diversity in the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

RELATED OUTPUTS

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Hoban S., Campbell CD., da Silva JM., Ekblom R., Funk CW., Garner BA., Godoy JA., Kershaw F., MacDonald AJ., Mergeay J., Minter M., O’Brien D., Paz Vinas I., Pearson SK., Pérez-Espona S., Potter KM., Russo I-RM., Segelbacher G., Vernesi C., and Hunter ME. Genetic diversity is considered important but interpreted narrowly in country reports to the Convention on Biological Diversity: current actions and indicators are insufficient. BioScience. Submitted.

Bertola LD., Sunnucks P., Bruford M., Cadena CD., Frankham D., Guayasamin JM., Grueber CE., Hoareau TB., Hoban S., Hohenlohe P., Hunter ME., Kershaw F., Lacy RC., Laikre L., MacDonald AJ., Meek MH., Mergeay J., Mittan C., O’Brien D., Orozco-terWengel P., Ogden R., Páez-Vacas M., Ralls K., Ramakrishnan U., Russo I-R M., Shaw RE., Stow A., Steeves T., Vernesi C., Waits L., and Segelbacher G. Genome-wide diversity is informative of extinction risk and critical for conservation: a response to Teixeira and Huber (2021). PNAS. Submitted.

Hoban S., Archer F., Bertola L., Bragg J., Breed M., Bruford M., Coleman M., Ekblom R., Funk CW., Grueber C., Hand B., Jaffé R., Jensen E., Johnson J., Kershaw F., Liggins L., MacDonald A., Mergeay J., Miller J., Muller-Karger F., O'Brien D., Paz-Vinas I., Potter K., Razgour O., Vernesi C., and Hunter ME. Global genetic diversity status and trends: towards a suite of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) for genetic composition. Biological Reviews. In review.

Leigh DM., Van Rees CB., Millette KL., Breed MF., Schmidt C., Bertola LD., Hand BK., Hunter ME., Jensen EL., Kershaw F., Liggins L., Luikart G., Manel S., Mergeay J., Miller JM., Segelbacher G., Hoban S., and Paz-Vinas, I. Opportunities and challenges of macrogenetic studies. Nature Reviews Genetics. Accepted.

Kershaw F., McClintock W., Andrews K., Riet F., Caballero S., Tetley M., Notarbartolo di Sciara G., Hoyt E., Goldberg G., Chou E., Kane-Ritsch K., and Rosenbaum, H. Geospatial genetics: Integrating genetics into marine protection and spatial planning. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. Accepted.

Hoban S., Bruford MW., Funk WC., Galbusera P., Griffith P., Grueber CE., Heuertz M., Hunter ME., Hvilsom C., Kalamujic Stroil B., Kershaw F., Khoury CK., Laikre L., Lopes-Fernandes M., MacDonald AJ., Mergeay J., Meek M., Mittan C., Mukassabi TA., O’Brien D., Ogden R., Palma da Silva C., Ramakrishnan U., Segelbacher G., Shaw RE., Sjögren-Gulve P., Velickovic N., and Vernesi C. (2021). Global commitments to conserving and monitoring genetic diversity are now necessary and feasible. BioScience, biab054. Published online May 26, 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biab054.

Paz-Vinas I., Jensen EL., Bertola LD., Breed M., Hand BK., Hunter ME., Kershaw F., Leigh DM., Luikart G., Mergeay J., Miller JM., Van Rees CB., Segelbacher G. and Hoban S. (2021). Macrogenetic studies must not ignore limitations of genetic markers and scale. Ecology Letters. doi: 10.1111/ele.13732.

POLICY PAPERS AND TECHNICAL REPORTS

GEO BON Genetics Composition Working Group (2020). How do Parties report to the Convention on Biological Diversity on genetic diversity and how can reporting and monitoring be improved? Policy Brief. November 2020. (Contributing author). Other languages.

Hoban S., Campbell CD., da Silva JM., Ekblom R., Funk CW., Garner BA., Godoy JA., Kershaw F., MacDonald AJ., Mergeay J., Minter M., O’Brien D., Paz Vinas I., Pearson SK., Pérez-Espona S., Potter KM., Russo I-RM., Segelbacher G., Vernesi C., and Hunter ME. (2020). An analysis of genetic diversity actions, indicators and targets in 114 National Reports to the Convention on Biological Diversity. bioRxiv preprint.

Presentations & other media

Kershaw F., McClintock W., Andrews KR., Riet-Sapriza FG., Caballero S., Tetley MJ., Notarbartolo di Sciara G., Hoyt E., Goldberg G., Chou E., Kane-Ritsch K., Rosenbaum HC. (2020). Using “geospatial genetics” to support global marine biodiversity monitoring and conservation. Oral presentation. GEO BON Open Science Conference & All Hands Meeting 2020, Virtual, 6–10 July, 2020.

Hoban S., Campbell C., da Silva J., Ekblom R., Funk WC., Garner BA., Godoy J., Kershaw F., MacDonald AJ., Mergeay J., Minter M., O'Brien D., Paz-Vinas I., Pearson S., Perez-Espona S., Potter KM., Russo I-RM., Segelbacher G., Vernesi C., and Hunter ME. A review of National Reports to the Convention on Biological Diversity genetic diversity and Aichi Target 13. Oral presentation. GEO BON Open Science Conference & All Hands Meeting 2020, Virtual, 6–10 July, 2020.

Hunter ME., Archer FI., Bertola L., Bragg J., Breed M., Bruford MW., Coleman M., Ekblom R., Funk WC., Grueber C., Hand BK., Jaffém R., Jensen E., Johnson JS., Kershaw F., Liggins L., MacDonald AJ., Mergeay J., Miller J., Muller-Karger F., O'Brien D., Paz-Vinas I., Pearson S., Potter KM., Razgou O., Vernesi C., and Hoban S. Developing Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) for the GEO BON Genetic Composition Working Group. Oral presentation. GEO BON Open Science Conference & All Hands Meeting 2020, Virtual, 6–10 July, 2020.

Paz-Vinas I., Jensen EL., Bertola LD., Breed MF., Hand BK., Hunter ME., Kershaw F., Leigh DM., Luikart G., Mergeay J., Miller JM., van Rees C., Segelbacher G., and Hoban S. Pitfalls and best practices when estimating wildlife genetic diversity in macrogenetic studies. Oral presentation. GEO BON Open Science Conference & All Hands Meeting 2020, Virtual, 6–10 July, 2020.10.1111/ele.13732