Conservation [and] Genomics of Free-Ranging Populations

Author: Aaron Shafer, Assistant Professor

Affiliation: Forensics and Environmental & Life Sciences, Trent University

Governments acknowledge the importance in stemming the loss of biodiversity, and conserving genetic diversity is a strategic goal of the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity. Genomic approaches have been touted as a promising tool to support such aims, with scaling up to genome-wide data thought to improve upon the traditional conservation genetic inferences and provide qualitatively novel insights for management decisions. However, the generation of genomic data, subsequent bioinformatics analyses and interpretations remain challenging, nuanced, and often far-removed from on-the-ground conservation issues. Here I highlight some of the major hurdles limiting the understanding and application of genomic data to conservation biology and offer solutions and outlook for the future.