Building Collections to Support Conservation Genomics of Desert Fishes

Authors: Thomas Turner, Emily DeArmon

Year: 2022

Abstract

Enormous progress has been made in expanding the utility of genomics for conservation biology. Yet, to fully realize its potential, the community needs access to samples that are sufficiently replicated in time and space to permit robust hypothesis tests and monitoring with statistical confidence. We present a collective effort to build genomic resources and specimen-rich tissue archives for imperiled fishes of the American southwest through extensive partnerships with researchers, management agencies, and NGOs. Genome projects and high-throughput genetic screening tools are under development for eight species that have been systematically monitored for decades. Corresponding tissue archives bracket major environmental disturbances like drought and mega-wildfire and are valuable for understanding demographic responses and impacts of recovery actions. We evaluate logistical and practical trade-offs to archive design, including cost, assay breadth, efficiency, and long-term stability of archived tissue samples. From this analysis, we develop a tissue deposition strategy that encompasses a variety of applications from long-read whole genome sequencing to rapid genotype by sequencing and RADseq approaches. Because the Museum of Southwestern Biology is a project-driven collection with a regional focus, we are well suited to develop and curate this critical archive that can inform future management actions as climate change transforms aquatic ecosystems in the southwestern US.