Island Conservation
Island Conservation’s CEO, Board Members, staff and partners sign an open letter to encourage safe and responsible research on gene drive technology. For Release: 14 NOVEMBER 2018 As a global community, we are facing life-threatening challenges that undermine our future, from catastrophic loss of biodiversity to acute public health threats. Malaria cases are on the […]
The Economist explores the potential pros and cons of gene drives in the eradication of mosquito-borne illnesses and invasive species. I think I got it,” says Alekos Simoni with a grin, returning an electronic fly zapper called “The Executioner” to a nearby metal shelf. With a deft flick of his wrist he has done away with […]
Invasive species removal on islands is one of the most promising conservation methods around today, but there are limits to current tools and methods. Innovative gene editing techniques show promising potential for bird conservation and communities on islands around the world. Scattered throughout the world’s oceans, islands host the greatest concentration of biodiversity species extinctions. […]
WIRED features GBIRd and Island Conservation Project Director Karl Campbell in an article about the potential for gene drives to help prevent extinctions of island species. By: Emma Marris KARL CAMPBELL IS a craftsman bedeviled by bad tools. He’s a middle-aged, medium-size, muscular Australian with a five-day beard and an intense gaze who seems perpetually […]
The diversity of species on Earth is plummeting, and by 2100, the number of extinctions could be as high as 1,000 – what can we do about it? By: Georgina Mace The year I was born, the little-known bubal hartebeest was vanishing from the wild. Aggressively hunted and squeezed from its natural habitat, this North African resident […]
Neuroscientist and science writer Shelly Xuelai Fan explains why gene drive technology could save species from extinction, but more research is needed to better understand the implications for ecosystems and communities. New Zealand’s Predator Free 2050 initiative is an ambitious project to remove invasive predators threatening the island nation’s native species, such as the flightless […]
In the race against extinction, conservationists need new technologies to scale up restoration efforts. One such potential technology is gene drive. An article published in Audubon Magazine provides insight on a potential new tool for conservation–gene drive–and its potential to enhance island restoration efforts. Island Conservation is working within a partnership–Genetic Biocontrol of Invasive Rodents (GBIRd)–to […]
An article published in The Scientist highlights research on a potential new tool for conservation. Introduced, damaging (invasive) rodents have invaded an estimated ninety percent of our world’s island archipelagos. Eradication of invasive rodents from islands can yield significant conservation benefits. More than a thousand island invasive species eradications have already taken place around the […]
YaleEnvironment360 covers the unknowns and opportunities presented by genetic engineering in the field of conservation. Gene drive opens up new opportunities in many different fields. In a recent article in YaleEnvironment360, award-winning writer Richard Conniff delves into a potential application of gene drive for conservation. Gene drive could help conservationists prevent extinctions of seabirds and island […]
A Potential Power-Tool for the Toolbox: Exploring Gene Drive for Eradicating Invasive Rodent Populations An international conference focused on the impacts and management of invasive alien species on islands is taking place at University of Dundee, Scotland July 10-14. In anticipation of this event, we’re sharing research that will be presented by experts in the field. […]