Charting a course for genetic diversity in the UN Decade of Ocean Science

Abstract

The health of the world's oceans is intrinsically linked to the biodiversity of the ecosystems they sustain. The importance of protecting and maintaining ocean biodiversity has been affirmed through the setting of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 to conserve and sustainably use the ocean for society's continuing needs. The decade beginning 2021–2030 has additionally been declared as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. This program aims to maximize the benefits of ocean science to the management, conservation, and sustainable development of the marine environment by facilitating communication and cooperation at the science–policy interface. A central principle of the program is the conservation of species and ecosystem components of biodiversity. However, a significant omission from the draft version of the Decade of Ocean Science Implementation Plan is the acknowledgment of the importance of monitoring and maintaining genetic biodiversity within species. In this paper, we emphasize the importance of genetic diversity to adaptive capacity, evolutionary potential, community function, and resilience within populations, as well as highlighting some of the major threats to genetic diversity in the marine environment from direct human impacts and the effects of global climate change. We then highlight the significance of ocean genetic diversity to a diverse range of socioeconomic factors in the marine environment, including marine industries, welfare and leisure pursuits, coastal communities, and wider society. Genetic biodiversity in the ocean, and its monitoring and maintenance, is then discussed with respect to its integral role in the successful realization of the 2030 vision for the Decade of Ocean Science. Finally, we suggest how ocean genetic diversity might be better integrated into biodiversity management practices through the continued interaction between environmental managers and scientists, as well as through key leverage points in industry requirements for Blue Capital financing and social responsibility.

Genetic diversity and disease: The past, present, and future of an old idea

“…Indeed, evaluating trends for 91 species (largely vertebrates) over the past ∼100 years, Leigh et al (2019) estimated a mean decline in allelic richness of 6.5%, with an even larger decline of 31% for island species. Yet the Convention on Biological Diversity and similar initiatives have been criticized for a lack of commitment to conserving genetic diversity beyond crops and livestock, and a failure to articulate specific, measurable goals for the future (Hoban et al 2021b;Hoban et al 2020;Laikre 2010;Thomson et al 2021;Willoughby et al 2015). Hoban et al (2021a) argue that the necessary knowledge, tools, and infrastructure are now in place to set quantitative goals for genetic diversity of wild species.…”

Genetics Matters: Voyaging from the Past into the Future of Humanity and Sustainability

“…The rapid succession of speciation events within explosive adaptive radiation was reported to depend primarily on the exceptional genomic potential of the cichlids, which is driven by the high density of ancient indel polymorphisms that are mostly linked to ecological divergence [ 144 ]. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that the loss of genetic diversity in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems has accelerated during the last few decades, spurred largely by anthropogenic activities such as agriculture and industry [ 145 ]. Maintaining resilience, community function, evolutionary potential, and adaptive capacity in these ecosystems through the maintenance of genetic diversity is among the central components of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 14 Life Below Water and SDG 15 Life On Land.…”

Research advances and future perspectives of genomics and genetic improvement in allotetraploid common carp

“…An increasing number of researchers have emphasized the importance of genetic diversity in growth performance, adaptive capacity, evolutionary potential and resilience within populations. 205 Conventional breeding methodologies relying on pedigree information and progeny testing, such as mass selection, family selection and hybridization, have indeed achieved visible results, and could be used in early breeding stages or in low economic value aquatic species, despite their lower accuracy, longer breeding cycles and limited genetic gain in the later stages of trait selection. 206 Achieving an accurate selection of economic traits is a long-lasting and important step to facilitate sustainable development of common carp aquaculture.…”