Animal conservation studies populations to understand the causes of decline, erosion of genetic diversity and adaptive capacity, and extinction risk, generating knowledge that supports the long-term persistence and evolution of species.
Animal populations are declining worldwide as part of the ongoing biodiversity crisis, which involves the degradation of ecosystems, species diversity, and genetic variation within species. Animal conservation seeks to understand the processes driving these losses and to develop scientifically grounded approaches to halt and reverse them, including restoring viable and sustainable populations. The research is multidisciplinary and integrates ecology, population genetics and genomics, behaviour, and environmental policy. The ongoing work conduct empirical, theoretical, and experimental studies in terrestrial and aquatic environments to understand how populations respond to environmental change and human pressures. Researchers also collaborate closely with national agencies and conservation organisations to ensure that scientific knowledge informs policy and practical conservation efforts.
