We are part of the International Earth BioGenome Project
The Canadian BioGenome Project is primarily funded by Genome Canada and we acknowledge the support and funding from the many other organizations listed below.
Canada possesses significant biodiversity, with roughly 80,000 plant and animal species in environments ranging from desert to the arctic. Many of these species are under threat due to rapid changes in climate and other human-led impacts on our environment.
The 2020 federal Wild Species report, which assessed ~50,534 Canadian species, identified ~4.5 per cent (2,253 species) as “May Be at Risk” in Canada.
As of May 2023, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada’s (COSEWIC) assessments included 846 wildlife species in various risk categories; 21 Extirpated (i.e., no longer found in the wild in Canada). In addition, 23 wildlife species have been assessed as Extinct.
Assessments by Indigenous Peoples in Canada also reflect systemic change— Inuit report declining abundance, health, and populations of several species.