We are part of the International Earth BioGenome Project
Genome-based tools have a significant place in addressing knowledge gaps related to resource management, evolution, viability, adaptation and disease in an at-risk species.
Canada possesses significant biodiversity, with almost 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.
Insights from decoding the genomes of Canadian species can help identify nutrients that might increase growth and enable farmers to more directly target pests or invasive species.
Detailed understanding of the genomic blueprint of a wide variety of Canadian species can spark innovation in new and novel ways such as drug development, generation of new biomaterials, identification of new potential diseases, and development of novel treatments.
Our goal is to bridge the conservation genomics gap. We will achieve this through massive knowledge mobilization activities between genomics scientists, ex-situ species managers, conservation practitioners, ecologists, biologists, zookeepers, museum curators and beyond.
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.