Galapagos Islands
Credit: izismile.com/
Introduced species have a disastrous record around the world. Rats, rabbits, cats, pigs, goats … the list is almost endless. This is because, without the diseases & predators which keep a species’ numbers in check in its native environment, almost any species can grow to plague proportions. Thus some obscure feral pests, such as camels in northern Australia.
Control measures include shooting, poisoning, & biological control. Results with biological control have been mixed. Poster child is the complete control of the prickly pear (Opuntia sp.) with the cactoblastus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum, a.k.a. cactus moth, South American cactus moth, or Nopal moth) in Australia.1 In other cases, the intended biological control has itself become a bigger pest than the organism it was introduced to control. E.g. stoats introduced to control rabbits in New Zealand,2 & cane toads to control cane beetles in Australia.3
In the Galapagos Islands, introduced rats pose a threat to many of the species which inspired Charles Darwin. One suggestion is introduction of more rats – specifically GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) rats. In this case, the genetic modification in this case, is a gene drive which will cause all offspring of the GMO rats to be male. Result would be that within a few generations, the entire rat population would be male. Problem solved, after that generation dies off.
http://www.wired.com/2016/06/save-galapagos-gmo-rats-go-wrong/?mbid=nl_6816
More about gene drives & CRISPR gene editing (PDF)
http://wyss.harvard.edu/staticfiles/newsroom/pressreleases/Gene%20drives%20FAQ%20FINAL.pdf
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1 Wikipedia: “Prickly pears in Australia”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prickly_pears_in_Australia
2 Wikipedia: “Stoats in New Zealand”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoats_in_New_Zealand
3 “Cane toad breeding population located in Sydney”, http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2011/04/cane-toad-breeding-population-located.html / beetle breeding population cane toad feral pest population Sydney cane toad exotic birds Galapagos Islands tortoises iguanas archipelago become overrun more prosaic animals rats mice rodents old sailing ships rodents stowed away modern cruises rodents eat eggs chicks hatchlings animals Charles Darwin islands all over the world Island Conservation nonprofit rids islands invasive species daring plan genetically engineer rodents all turn into males shrinking population one lonely pest at a time plan going into effect serious airing report National Academy of Sciences often makes recommendations controversial areas of research make-all-rodents-boys idea case studies gene drives engineered pieces of DNA spread more quickly through wild population gene wouldgene drives way to cheat evolution gene drives dangerous and unpredictable manmade DNA sequence wild population National Academy’s report guidelines scientists responsibly study method genetically altering wild plants and animals environmentalists long decried genetically modified organisms embrace them for conservation gene drives a way to prevent mosquitoes from spreading disease scientists engineered mosquitoes gene drives kill the parasite behind malaria working on gene drives eradicate mosquitoes that spread dengue chikungunya Zika or make them resistant viruses recent rise of Crispr gene-editing technology scientists construct gene drives gene drives benefit humans restore natural habitats tropical islands beset with invasive rats what is natural engineer animals restore nature environmentalists long decried genetically modified organisms conservation New Natural
Kent Redford director Wildlife Conservation Society Institute working definition natural synthetic biologists conservationists conservationists Ryan Phelan executive director Revive and Restore promotes synthetic biology genetic rescue endangered and extinct species two groups talking specific problems like invasive rodents on islands genetic modification current approach to killing island invasives enthusiasm gene drives British island of South Georgia pilots spread 200 tons of bait one helicopter load at a time blanketing island rat poison brodifacoum blood clotting rodents die internal bleeding birds mammals high doses gene drive most humane way possible all-male population live out their natural lives Heath Packard communications director Island Conservation Islands well suited gene drive solutions ocean is a natural barrier against their spread invasive rodents are a critical problem Charles Darwin discovered islands hotbed of biodiversity 40 percent critically endangered species in the world live islands rats mice easy genetic target scientists tinkered genetics lab laboratory downside unintended consequences ecology is complicated nobody put a gene out in the wild before Island Conservation scientists investigating gene drives game-changing eradication technology Crispr research partners Texas A&M University North Carolina State University studying naturally-occurring gene drive mice Crispr technology Island Conservation partnered US Department of Agriculture Australia’s national Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation CSIRO regulatory approval field planning fundraise gene drive research National Academy report conservation scenarios gene drives off mosquitoes spread avian malaria Hawaii controlling invasive knapweeds US forests report how to define nature understand the value attached to nature difficult philosophical and social problems report open questions growing and heated debate among environmentalists values that underpin environmentalism gene drives unnatural how natural dropping tons of rat poison out of the sky scientists can construct gene drive conservationists permission release mice as planned islands Galapagos benefit huge rat poisoning campaign rid the Galapagos of most of its pests boat traffic there rodents make their way to the islands again Charles Darwin observations understand laws of natural selection scientists technology cheat the game /
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