OCEAN GENOMICS HORIZON SCAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY To view the full 200-page web-enabled report, please visit www.reviverestore.org/ocean PREPARED BY OCEAN GENOMICS HORIZON SCAN SUMMER 2019 Revive & Restore was commissioned in 2018 by a private family foundation to conduct an Ocean Genomics Horizon Scan and to ask this question of leading marine biologists: “How can genomic technologies and synthetic biology help solve some of the intractable problems facing the ocean?” With the help of a dozen TABLE OF CONTENTS researchers and drawing upon interviews conducted with over 100 scientists, the Horizon Scan assesses current Introduction ........................ 2 threats to marine biodiversity for which new genomic tools could be transformative; highlights pioneering The Genetic Rescue conservation applications of genomic technologies; and identifies innovations that could provide novel Toolkit for Conservation ......... 3 solutions for marine conservation. Threats and Solutions .......... 4 From this research, we selected a suite of “Big Idea” proposals that would both demonstrate the power of these technologies and address a significant conservation challenge. Each of these ten Big Ideas was developed with Climate Change: a team of scientists passionate about their work; each demonstrates a clear technology development path with Coral & Kelp .................... 4 early wins and clear milestones; and each is achievable on a two- to three-year timeline. Over-Fishing .................. 10 Revive & Restore stands ready to refine and implement these projects in order to further demonstrate the Pollution ....................... 13 potential role of these new tools to compliment and transform marine conservation. We have established Marine Invasives .............. 15 a Catalyst Fund to accelerate the adoption of these innovative tools and are currently raising awareness and the funding needed to advance these emerging marine conservation innovations. Wildlife Disease ............... 17 The full 200-page, web-enabled Ocean Genomics Horizon Scan provides a first-of-its-kind assessment of Wildlife Trade ................. 18 genomic and biotechnology innovations with the potential to help address marine threats and hopefully Island Invasives ............... 19 restore bioabundance to the ocean. After a full year of research, the report is being made available to the High Seas Exploitation ...... 20 conservation community, foundations, and the public to encourage discussion and further the adoption of a new toolkit for conservation. It can be accessed at www.reviverestore.org/ocean. Biodiversity Loss ............. 21 Market Alternatives for This Executive Summary provides a high-level overview of the Horizon Scan and highlights ten of the Big Ideas. Ocean Products Horseshoe Crab Blood ...... 23 Market Alternatives To view the full 200-page web-enabled report, please visit www.reviverestore.org/ocean for Seafood ....................24 About this Horizon Scan ...... 25 Experts Interviewed ........... 26 What Success Looks Like ..... 28 1 — Revive & Restore | Ocean Genomics Horizon Scan | Executive Summary INTRODUCTION Threats such as pollution and over-exploitation complex genomic interventions, such as controlling from a rapidly increasing human footprint are invasive species or creating resilient coral. So far, severely impairing the integrity of marine ecosystems. conservation has been slow to adopt these new tools. Climate change exacerbates nearly all of these Revive & Restore’s Ocean Genomics Horizon Scan threats and reaches parts of the ocean still relatively presents opportunities to bring genomic and untouched by anthropogenic effects. Conventional biotechnology innovations to marine conservation. conservation measures like minimizing and To support the development of an emerging eliminating pollution, limiting fishing pressure, and “Genetic Rescue Toolkit,” Revive & Restore produced establishing marine protected areas are indispensable a 200-page report that highlights the current use strategies to protect marine ecosystems. However, of genomic technologies and synthetic biology, the pace and scale of threats to the ocean demand potential future applications, research gaps, the immediate innovation. innovative scientists and institutions forging new Meanwhile, rapid advances in genomic technologies ground, and the risks and considerations involved in are opening exciting new innovations in medicine deploying novel, transformative technology to marine and agriculture. The speed of change and the radical conservation. It is important to note that Revive reductions in costs are creating new possibilities for & Restore maintained our focus on conservation innovation in conservation practice. In some cases, applications as opposed to more academic inquiries these technologies may have the potential to help or research. Genomics can inform very interesting save not only single species, but also entire marine taxonomic and evolutionary research, but the Horizon ecosystems. Spanning a continuum from insight to Scan only features the applications with a direct intervention, genomic and biotech tools can provide conservation outcome. profound new insights to augment conventional conservation strategies (fisheries management or disrupting illegal wildlife trade) and enable more 2 — Revive & Restore | Ocean Genomics Horizon Scan | Executive Summary The Tools in the Toolkit: THE GENETIC RESCUE TOOLKIT Genetic Engineering Methods for altering genetic codes by disrupting, FOR CONSERVATION deleting, rewriting, or adding genes, including transgenesis and genome-editing techniques like CRISPR, to enable laboratory-assisted evolution or Revive & Restore uses an expansive definition of the concept of genetic rescue that includes facilitated adaptation. genetic-based tools for documenting biodiversity, informing conventional management practices, and in some cases, enabling novel genomic interventions. The practice of Advanced Reproductive Technology marine conservation is notoriously data limited; after all, everything is underwater. The Methods that assist population recovery and allow emerging tools of genetic rescue provide powerful new monitoring insights to deepen our genetic manipulation of natural species, including understanding of marine species and habitats. These tools and techniques may also bring artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, somatic cell much needed innovation to address specific threats to marine ecosystems. Each category nuclear transfer (cloning), primordial germ cell transfer, of tools builds in complexity, and all rely on foundation sequencing work. and stem cell embryogenesis. Molecular & Cellular Tools Synthetic Biology for designing gene networks and pathways, including metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathways to enable the manufacturing of natural products traditionally harvested from the wild. Methods of manipulating DNA sequence in order to create new genetic information, including recombinant DNA technology for moving genes between species, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for isolating individual genes from full genomes, and DNA synthesis for creating new gene sequences from scratch. Sequencing Methods for deriving genetic information from living organisms, including those for reference genome assembly, mapping epigenetic or gene expression patterns associated with phenotypic characteristics, and DNA barcodes for identification or environmental monitoring of a species. Bio-banking 2019 2030+ Methods for the collection and preservation of living and frozen samples of natural biological materials to be used for research or advanced reproductive techniques, including stem cells and gametes. 3 — Revive & Restore | Ocean Genomics Horizon Scan | Executive Summary THREATS AND INNOVATIONS The Horizon Scan identifies promising applications for ocean conditions; and to drive innovation to directly the use of genomics to address marine conservation, abate threats to ocean organisms and ecosystems. current technologies and leaders in the field, and gaps Despite the potential of these innovations, there is a in our knowledge. Conservation initiatives utilizing lag due to a lack of foundation research in biobanking, genomics to address marine threats are nascent, but sequencing, and investigating the genetic origins show tremendous potential to compliment more of traits, as well as the limited molecular tools conventional conservation strategies. Revive & Restore available to ocean ecologists. Numerous researchers organized the Horizon Scan according to the threats interviewed lamented the disconnect between to marine systems since this fits with how more academia and conservation. Therefore, there is a great conventional conservation strategies are deployed. need and a great opportunity to make investments in and contributions to building the genetic Modern genomics can be applied to ocean libraries and molecular tool kits used to understand conservation and management in order to better microevolutionary processes driving ocean life. inform management decisions; to identify potential genomic vulnerability and/or resilience to changing CLIMATE CHANGE Climate-related changes in ocean conditions are Many of the physical and chemical changes in ocean having profound impacts on marine ecosystems. conditions appear to exacerbate other anthropogenic The warming ocean and melting polar ice is already impacts to the integrity of marine ecosystems. Two causing sea levels to rise and may result in profound critically important