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IBOY: Ongoing Projects
How can we conserve
biodiversity?
Follow the 
icon for a detailed description of each project.
| Project
Title |
Principal
Investigator and
Institutional Affiliation |
| DNA Banks of endangered
species |
A.
McLaren, Wellcome/CRC
Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology, UK |
| LITUS
- Interactions of biodiversity, productivity and tourism on sandy
beaches |
M. Vincx, University
of Gent, Belgium |
Project Descriptions:
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- DNA banks
- The threat of extinctioon for many species, both known and
as yet undiscovered, grows ever greater as whole ecosystems vanish,
human populations prolifersate, and human-mediated intereference
increases...Captive breeding provides an insurance policy and
for some species may be the only hope of survival. It requires
input from population genetics to preserve high levels of genetic
diversity...[But] if nothing more is done, our grandchildren
will be left with little elese than brief descriptions in scientific
papers.
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- This project will co-ordinate a world-wide attempt be made
to store, for every endangered animal species, samples of DNA,
DNA libraries, or frozen cells or tissues that could readily
yield DNA....
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- This project will set up a web site to register DNA banks,
listing who is responsible for them and which species they include.
- --Anne McLaren
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 (top)
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- LITUS - Interactions
of biodiversity, productivity and tourism on sandy beaches
- Beaches are facing most of the natural and man-induced environmental
stress. Despite their initial barren appearence many beaches
support a diverse flora and fauna and are considered as very
productive ecosystems. Intensive touristic use might reduce the
biodiversity but may increase its turnover rate. From tropical
and subtropical localities to Arctic sandy littoral fauna will
be investigated in terms of biodiversity and productivity. Among
groups considered are microphytobenthic algae, bacteria, ciliates,
meio and macrofauna. In a field experimental approach, the impact
of tourism will be evaluated through measurments of productivity
and biodiversity as well. Standarised sampling procedures and
protocols for dissemination of results are very important not
only to the scientific literature but also to the management
units. This will be both the strength and the key question of
the proposal: translation of results to a broad public based
on fully standarised methods and producing clear protocols for
management of sandy beaches under strong influence of tourism.
- --M. Vincx and J.M. Weslawski
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- (top)
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