IUCN is the world’s leading authority in environmental science and policy, recognized for shaping conservation priorities across governments, non-governmental organizations and international treaties. The commission will bring together ecologists, traditional knowledge experts and conservation leaders to develop and advocate for conservation tools, strategies and policies that integrate microbiology into global biodiversity governance.
The group aims to map conservation priorities for microbial ecosystems currently threatened by habitat destruction and human activities. They will also develop a microorganism specific Red List, a globally-recognized system to classify species at high risk of extinction.
Additionally, the commission will develop frameworks to guide the use of microbes that can augment existing conservation efforts, an increasing area of scientific innovation. This includes efforts underway to use microbial probiotics to strengthen coral reefs or to improve the resilience of crops and rescue soil microbial diversity, or to improve other ecosystems and help conserve charismatic megafauna.
The Microbial Conservation Specialist Group is currently supported by funding from the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation with administrative and financial support from the International Society for Microbial Ecology, the American Society for Microbiology and Applied Microbiology International.
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