CSIRO scientists have mapped the first full genome of the spotted handfish, a step that could aid monitoring, captive breeding and conservation efforts of the critically endangered species. Fewer than 2,000 spotted handfish remain in the wild. Dr Tom Walsh, co-leader of CSIRO’s applied genomics initiative, said the genome could provide a better understanding of the species. “What we don’t want is for all our endangered species to exist only as genomes,” he said. “The conservation has to happen on the ground. What the genome can do is provide more information to those people who make those decisions.”
