Applying Genomics to the recovery of critically endangered Canadian species

全球生物多样性正在以惊人的速度下降，动物园和水族馆正在成为应对这种生物多样性丧失的关键角色。这些组织的部分任务已扩大到与政府组织和学者合作，从事与圈养和野生环境保护有关的研究。利用加拿大三个主要的研究密集型动物园/水族馆（多伦多动物园，卡尔加里动物园和温哥华水族馆）的资源，该研究项目将解决与两种两栖动物物种生存相关的挑战，北豹蛙（Lithobates pipiens）和俄勒冈斑点蛙（Rana pretiosa），这两种两栖动物在不列颠哥伦比亚省都是极度濒危物种，在加拿大是濒危物种，因此在加拿大西部面临灭绝的可能性。通过在种群遗传学和生态学、基因组学和保护框架下的育种实践方面提供培训，该计划将为毕业生在21世纪的保护职业生涯做好准备，为未来的濒危物种育种计划制定最佳实践，并为公共和私人利益相关者提供一条途径，以拯救两个加拿大关键物种免于灭绝，从而履行动物园/水族馆和濒危物种法案的战略任务。

Global biodiversity is declining at alarming rates and zoos and aquariums are becoming critical players in countering this biodiversity loss. Part of the mandate of these organizations has expanded to partner with governmental organizations and academics in engaging in research related to conservation in captivity and the wild. Leveraging the resources of three major research-intensive zoos/aquariums in Canada (the Toronto Zoo, the Calgary Zoo and the Vancouver Aquarium), this research project will address the challenges associated with the survival of two Amphibian species, the Northern Leopard Frog, Lithobates pipiens and the Oregon Spotted Frog, Rana pretiosa, both Critically Imperiled in BC, Endangered in Canada, thus facing potential extinction in Western Canada. By offering training graduate students in population genetics and ecology, genomics and breeding practices in a conservation framework, this program will prepare graduates for a diversity of 21st century careers in conservation, develop best practices for future endangered species breeding programs and provide an avenue for public and private stakeholders to save two key Canadian species from extinction, thus fulfilling the strategic mandates of both zoos/aquariums and the Species At Risk Act.