Biological control is widely successful at controlling pests, but effective biocontrol agents are now more difficult to import from countries of origin due to more restrictive international trade laws (the Nagoya Protocol). Coupled with increasing demand, the efficacy of existing and new biocontrol agents needs to be improved with genetic and genomic approaches. Although they have been underutilised in the past, application of genetic and genomic techniques is becoming more feasible from both technological and economic perspectives. We review current methods and provide a framework for using them. First, it is necessary to identify which biocontrol trait to select and in what direction. Next, the genes or markers linked to these traits need be determined, including how to implement this information into a selective breeding program. Choosing a trait can be assisted by modelling to account for the proper agro‐ecological context, and by knowing which traits have sufficiently high heritability values. We provide guidelines for designing genomic strategies in biocontrol programs, which depend on the organism, budget, and desired objective. Genomic approaches start with genome sequencing and assembly. We provide a guide for deciding the most successful sequencing strategy for biocontrol agents. Gene discovery involves quantitative trait loci analyses, transcriptomic and proteomic studies, and gene editing. Improving biocontrol practices includes marker‐assisted selection, genomic selection and microbiome manipulation of biocontrol agents, and monitoring for genetic variation during rearing and post‐release. We conclude by identifying the most promising applications of genetic and genomic methods to improve biological control efficacy.

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Coral reefs in the wider Caribbean declined in hard coral cover by ~80% since the 1970s, but spatiotemporal analyses for sub-regions are lacking. Here, we explored benthic change patterns in the Mexican Caribbean reefs through meta-analysis between 1978 and 2016 including 125 coral reef sites. Findings revealed that hard coral cover decreased from ~26% in the 1970s to 16% in 2016, whereas macroalgae cover increased to ~30% in 2016. Both groups showed high spatiotemporal variability. Hard coral cover declined in total by 12% from 1978 to 2004 but increased again by 5% between 2005 and 2016 indicating some coral recovery after the 2005 mass bleaching event and hurricane impacts. In 2016, more than 80% of studied reefs were dominated by macroalgae, while only 15% were dominated by hard corals. This stands in contrast to 1978 when all reef sites surveyed were dominated by hard corals. This study is among the first within the Caribbean region that reports local recovery in coral cover in the caribbean, while other caribbean reefs have failed to recover. Most Mexican caribbean coral reefs are now no longer dominated by hard corals. in order to prevent further reef degradation, viable and reliable conservation alternatives are required. Monitoring change in coral reef ecosystems is essential in an era when humanity is having a widespread and long-term impact on nature. Current anthropogenic climate change and local stressors (such as overfishing and a mix of pollution and sedimentation from coastal development 1) place coral reefs as the most endangered ecosystems on earth 2. Rapid reversals in their health have been reported globally 3 , including reefs from the Caribbean region, where declines of the live hard coral cover of ~80% between 1975 and 2000 have been documented 4-6. In the late 1970s, entire populations of reef-building coral species (i.e. Acropora palmata and Acropora cervicornis) collapsed as a result of the white-band disease 7. Furthermore, the mass mortality of black sea urchins (Diadema antillarum), overfishing and eutrophication 8 have resulted in a proliferation of more opportunistic, fast-growing organisms such as (macro)algae that outcompete reef-building corals 8-11. As a result, many Caribbean benthic coral reef communities changed drastically from low coral cover to persistent states of high cover (macro)algae in the process of so-called phase shifts 11-15. Efforts to mitigate or reverse phase shifts and reef degradation in the Caribbean include the development of new coral reef monitoring and managing strategies 16-18. Monitoring efforts of Caribbean reefs began in the late 1970s at various reef locations for short durations 19. It was until 1980 when coral reef monitoring programs first began for some countries due to the evident reef degradation and increasing threats 19. In the Mesoamerican Reef System (MAR), the monitoring officially began in 2005 with the Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative 20. The MAR is recognized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as one of 200 global priority ec...

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