Genetics, Ethics, and Systematics: A Workshop for Freshwater Chelonia Biologists, August 2005 at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University

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This workshop will be held in August 2005 at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. The workshop will bring together the international community of researchers using genetic/genomic tools to study turtles and tortoises. The workshop will focus on several key challenges that face both the basic and applied research community, and will serve to focus research efforts on the genetic tools and strategies for dissemination of information needed to work with this troubled, ancient group of organisms. Freshwater turtles and tortoises present a class of challenges to effective conservation and systematics research that rivals or surpasses those of most vertebrate clades. One of the results of their niche in society is that turtles are often available in the pet, food, and medicinal markets, rendering virtually every species on earth accessible for many research questions. However, turtles also pose a unique series of research challenges, including their protected status, lack of genetic resources, and their sheer bulk. Many museums cannot curate large specimens of many species, and many governments will not allow researchers to collect and voucher turtles. Finally, turtles are declining around the world, and it is imperative that the research community quickly reaches a consensus on a wide variety of issues that loosely fall under the heading of conservation genetics. The goal in this workshop is to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to develop strategies that will optimize the effectiveness of the community in using genetic tools for basic and applied research on this important, troubled group of organisms. Results may serve as a template for other, similarly problematic groups of organisms-those that are widely exploited by the non-research community, and for which many problems require genetic tools. One of the primary strengths of the workshop is the wide, international audience that will come together, and the tools that will be developed. The workshop will include workers from nearly every continent, as well as new graduate students and seasoned academic and non-academic professionals. The products of the workshop will include strategies for 1) web-based vouchering that will serve as a model for endangered species in general, 2) working with material from the pet and wild animal trades in an ethical manner, and 3) developing genetic resources that will benefit the international research and conservation communities.