Fish germ cell cryobanking and transplanting for conservation

Abstract

AbstractThe unprecedented loss of global biodiversity is linked to multiple anthropogenic stressors. New conservation technologies are urgently needed to mitigate this loss. The rights, knowledge and perspectives of Indigenous peoples in biodiversity conservation—including the development and application of new technologies—are increasingly recognised. Advances in germplasm cryopreservation and germ cell transplantation (termed ‘broodstock surrogacy’) techniques offer exciting tools to preserve biodiversity, but their application has been underappreciated. Here, we use teleost fishes as an exemplar group to outline (1) the power of these techniques to preserve genome‐wide genetic diversity, (2) the need to apply a conservation genomic lens when selecting individuals for germplasm cryobanking and broodstock surrogacy and (3) the value of considering the cultural significance of these genomic resources. We conclude by discussing the opportunities and challenges of these techniques for conserving biodiversity in threatened teleost fish and beyond.