Conserving genetic diversity of at-risk species across the data-availability spectrum

Genetic data have been used for decades in conservation decision-making, including for the identification and recovery of species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Technological advances have made much larger genomic datasets available for at-risk species, improving the precision and resolution of metrics such as genetic diversity, while bringing previously inaccessible parameters like adaptive differentiation and individual inbreeding within reach. The advantages of these data are clear for the targeted species, yet the vast majority of at-risk species will never benefit from genetic studies. In this talk, I will discuss how genetic and genomic data can be leveraged across the data-availability spectrum to inform at-risk species conservation: from direct molecular studies that inform conservation questions such as delineating management units and evaluating evolutionary potential, to the use of proxies for genetic diversity and genetic erosion within unsampled species. The magnitude of the biodiversity crisis requires the application of rapid, large-scale assessments of intraspecific diversity to stem diversity losses. Genetic and genomic studies combined with population genetic theory and proxies can be leveraged to expand the reach of these data beyond sampled species to prioritize conservation and avert these ongoing losses.