Conservation Genetics and Genomics in Action
Genetic data are often used to shape conservation and management decisions when target species have populations that are fragmented, declining, exploited, or rapidly changing. The Kartzinel Lab at Brown University uses genetic and genomic tools to guide real-world conservation decisions. Together with leading conservation programs around the world, we combine field ecology with genomic technologies to inform management, define population structure, and assess the long-term resilience of plant and animal populations.
Our work spans coastal turtles, tropical mammals, invasive species, and rare plants — combining decades of methodological experience with applied conservation partnerships.
Our work spans coastal turtles, tropical mammals, invasive species, and rare plants — combining decades of methodological experience with applied conservation partnerships.
Diamondback Terrapins: Connectivity in Coastal Systems
(In partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and Others)
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Coastal development can not only impact the populations of protected species directly, but alter gene flow among them. This can subtly, but critically, accelerate the risk of extinction. Our work on diamondback terrapins across New England examines population genetic structure to identify:
By integrating genomic data with spatial information, this research has directly informed regional conservation planning and policy discussions. |
📢 In The Press
Read the news about our conservation genomics study that revealed impacts on diamondback terrapin populations in the northeastern United States. |
Sloths: A New Genomics Initiative for Tropical Conservation
(In collaboration with the Sloth Conservation Foundation)
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One of our newest conservation genomics initiatives involves sloths. Tropical forest fragmentation, declining populations, and limited baseline genetic data create urgent gaps for conservation planning.
Using nanopore whole-genome sequencing (WGS), we are launching an initiative to evaluate:
Together with non-profit partners, we have launched a fundraising campaign to address the urgent need to better account for genetic variation in conservation policy and planning for sloths and other understudied tropical species. Donations to the Kartzinel Lab help fund technology development while contributions to the Sloth Conservation Foundation directly protect sloths in the wild. This initiative represents a forward-looking expansion of our conservation genomics portfolio and strategy for impact. |
Bradypus three-toed sloth hanging out in Costa Rica |
Rare and Protected Plants: Orchids and Bromeliads
(Supported by the National Science Foundation and others)
Our background in conservation genetics is grounded in long-standing work that began almost 20 years ago with a focus on rare and protected plant taxa.
Orchids — Microsatellite analyses and phylogeographic studies clarified how populations colonize new habitats, exchange genetic variation, and maintain diversity in increasingly fragmented tropical forests. Results directly informed recommendations for a habitat restoration corridor in Costa Rica.
Bromeliads — Phylogeographic data based on Sanger sequencing of chloroplast DNA helped identify cryptic divergence among lineages that span mountain ranges, revealing regional patterns that may be critical for conservation planning.
These studies illustrate how targeted molecular tools can guide stewardship of threatened taxa.
Orchids — Microsatellite analyses and phylogeographic studies clarified how populations colonize new habitats, exchange genetic variation, and maintain diversity in increasingly fragmented tropical forests. Results directly informed recommendations for a habitat restoration corridor in Costa Rica.
Bromeliads — Phylogeographic data based on Sanger sequencing of chloroplast DNA helped identify cryptic divergence among lineages that span mountain ranges, revealing regional patterns that may be critical for conservation planning.
These studies illustrate how targeted molecular tools can guide stewardship of threatened taxa.
Colonizing and Invasive Species Evolution
Kudzu Vine — One of the most notorious invasive plants in the southeastern United States. We studied clonal genetic patterns of kudzu patches around the perimeter of Athens, GA to discover that some populations comprise a large number of genetically unique individuals while others are largely clonal. Importantly, the occurrence of identical clones in populations distributed along a highway revealed dispersal patterns that were probably aided by highway machinery.
Anolis Lizards — As part of a large-scale manipulative experiment involving the introduction of predator and/or competitor lizards to islands in the Bahamas that were originally occupied only by the brown anole (Anolis sagrei), we worked with a team of collaborators to evaluate the predictability of evolutionary responses to this kind of change. We found signatures of evolutionary change that were highly variable across populations and difficult to predict consistently.
Anolis Lizards — As part of a large-scale manipulative experiment involving the introduction of predator and/or competitor lizards to islands in the Bahamas that were originally occupied only by the brown anole (Anolis sagrei), we worked with a team of collaborators to evaluate the predictability of evolutionary responses to this kind of change. We found signatures of evolutionary change that were highly variable across populations and difficult to predict consistently.
Technological Progress
Our extensively documented laboratory protocols and bioinformatic workflows are freely available on this site
Across systems and decades, we have deployed a wide range of genetic and genomic technologies, including:
This breadth reinforces a central principle in the way we have learned to position our work for impact: technology is always changing so we worry less about how fashionable our approach may seem and more about the quality of our strategy to deliver results that matter.
- Allozymes
- Microsatellites
- Sanger sequencing
- 454 pyrosequencing
- RADseq
- Illumina whole-genome sequencing
- Nanopore whole-genome sequencing
This breadth reinforces a central principle in the way we have learned to position our work for impact: technology is always changing so we worry less about how fashionable our approach may seem and more about the quality of our strategy to deliver results that matter.