Australian Fish Genomics Initiative

Bioplatforms Australia and Minderoo Foundation are investing in the generation of referential biomolecular data to advance knowledge of Australia’s fish species and support critical research and management strategies.

Fish play a crucial role in Australia’s environmental health and economy. As the largest and most diverse group of vertebrates, with over 34,500 species described globally, Australia hosts approximately 5,000 fish species, including around 400 native freshwater species. A significant proportion of Australia’s freshwater fish are endemic, and many species are still being discovered or described due to the challenges associated with access and identification. Advancements in our understanding of how aquatic organisms adapt to and interact with their environments, coupled with improved population monitoring and environmental assessment, are facilitated by genomics-informed technologies. These technologies address a broad range of needs related to fish evolution and biodiversity, conservation, fisheries, aquaculture, and environmental biosecurity, including pest and disease management.

AIMS

The Australian Fish Genomics Initiative, in collaboration with the marine and freshwater research communities, aims to generate essential data for researchers and practitioners to accelerate the characterisation of Australia’s fish species, enhancing our understanding of species adaptation, population dynamics, and evolutionary relationships.

Data types will include genomics, genetics (e.g., population genetics), transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics where required and include fish species from all major Australian habitats: freshwater, estuarine and marine environments. The Initiative will be progressing as two parallel themes:

• The Australian Freshwater Fish Genomics Program
• The Australian Marine Fish Genomics Program

Estuarine species will be included in the program that best suits the main dwelling environment of the species.

GOVERNANCE

To ensure proper management of the initiative, the governance structure will include an Advisory Committee for each program, a Project Manager (from Bioplatforms Australia), and specialist working groups (where appropriate). The initiative will also seek input of external advisors as required. The Advisory Committees will provide strategic direction and leadership to the Australian Fish Genomics Initiative consortium. These groups will work closely with relevant international consortia to ensure alignment and reduce duplication of effort.

PROCESS

Building on the framework established by other Bioplatforms initiatives, the Australian Fish Genomics Initiative will run an open Request for Partnership (RFP) process to seek collaborations for co-developing and utilising the data resources for the two programs. This RFP process will be aimed at filling existing data gaps.

An audit of the existing genomics referential data showed that only half (56.6%) of the described Australian freshwater and estuarine fish genera had available referential genomic data, with just over a quarter having species-level genomics information. For saltwater species the available referential genomic data reduced to 20% at the genera-level and just over 3% at the species-level.

This highlights the critical need for additional genomic data resources to support the management and conservation of this important and diverse Australian taxonomic group.