Harmonising genomics to preserve nature: A call for standardisation in biodiversity research practices

Text by Luísa Marins

“Biodiversity Genomics Research Practices Require Harmonising to Meet Stakeholder Needs in Conservation”

The invited review entitled “Biodiversity Genomics Research Practices Require Harmonising to Meet Stakeholder Needs in Conservation” is published as part of Molecular Ecology’s special issue “Conservation Genomics – Making a difference”. The main message of the publication is that to fully realise the potential of genomics in biodiversity conservation, the scientific community must develop and adopt harmonised, stakeholder-informed standards that encompass not only the production and management of genomic data, but also downstream analysis and interpretation. The paper calls for a collaborative, inclusive, and practical approach to embed genomic tools into conservation policy and practice globally and highlights the ERGA community’s ongoing efforts towards this goal. The publication was made possible thanks to funding from the Biodiversity Genomics Europe Project, which aims to advance the use of genomics in conservation and policy-making.

Despite the widely recognised importance of genetic diversity estimates to assess factors relevant to species’ conservation, such as their adaptability and resilience, the application of genomics-informed insights into concrete conservation actions is still limited. In this invited review, the authors make the point that this limitation is partly due to widespread inconsistencies in the ways genomic data used for genetic diversity estimates are generated, analysed, and interpreted. While state-of-the-art genomic tools, like whole-genome (re)sequencing (WGS), provide high-resolution insights into genetic diversity, they also require consistent methodologies across time and space to ensure stronger conservation impact. The effective translation of genomic insights into concrete conservation measures is also limited due to known challenges of the scientific community in connecting, communicating, and engaging with other relevant stakeholders – policymakers, conservation practitioners, and local communities; and the uneven access to genomic technologies across the globe.

The authors make the case that in order to meaningfully integrate their science into conservation, the biodiversity genomics community must make an effort to co-create their research projects with active participation of other stakeholders every step of the way. The paper presents successful examples of this co-creation process: three case studies that concretely demonstrate how the early involvement of stakeholders in conservation projects leads to better adoption and practical application of genomics data. On the other hand, the paper also presents the results of surveys and workshops promoted within the ERGA community, which highlight that there is a critical need to build capacity amongst scientists and improve their skills in identifying and effectively engaging relevant stakeholders. 

Figure from Buzan, Guttry et al., 2025, Molecular Ecology, CC BY 4.0. A framework for enhancing consistency and comparability of genetic diversity assessments through improved harmonisation and standardisation of key steps from study design to data archiving.

Based on the issues identified, the authors launch a call to action: while a lot of ongoing efforts aim to standardise the production of reference genomes (and other reference resources), it’s time to also create and promote standards for downstream genomic diversity assessments. Such standard metrics and best practices will greatly enhance accuracy and comparability across studies and increase their accessibility and uptake by other stakeholder groups, leading to better conservation outcomes. Solutions proposed to achieve this harmonisation include several community-driven actions such as developing consensus guidelines and analytical pipelines for genomic data, promoting training and capacity-building initiatives for scientists and other stakeholders, and strengthening inclusive and equitable data practices aligned with FAIR and CARE principles.