European Marine Genetic Biodiversity - EUMAR

There is today a huge gap between the general ideal of protecting biodiversity and our understanding of how this can be accomplished. Furthermore the ultimate view of biodiversity is that it is genetic diversity. Even if this seems an extreme view, the fact that biodiversity changes at the genetic level often precede changes at species and ecosystem levels cannot be ignored. That is, before the negative trends in biodiversity are observed as loss of species or habitats, the genetic diversity within species will be eroded. The overall objective of EUMAR is to find means to progress from general ideas about biodiversity, via a firm knowledge base, to guidelines for biodiversity management. The strength of EUMAR will be that observations (genetic and demographic data) will be combined with modelling to forecast effects of human activities. The results will make the platform for management guidelines aimed as tools for coastal zone management of genetic biodiversity.