Wallacea region - understanding biodiversity and evolutionary responses to environmental change. Natural Environment Research Council

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1 Wallacea region - understanding biodiversity and evolutionary responses to environmental change Natural Environment Research Council Dr Simon Kerley Head of Terrestrial Ecosystems February 2017

2 UK Research Councils Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

3 Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) 2 nd largest funder of environmental science globally. Invest 330M each year in cutting-edge research, training and innovation in UK research organisations. Our work covers the full range of atmospheric, Earth, biological, terrestrial and aquatic science, from the deep oceans to the upper atmosphere and from the poles to the equator.

4 Our vision To place environmental science at the heart of responsible management of our planet

5 NERC programme ~ 260m pa World-leading research 41% Resilience to environmental hazards Discovery science Benefiting from natural resources Managing environmental change Future leaders 11% Innovation c7% Innovation 6.5% National capability 44% Public engagement 1% International development 13m VfM & Efficiency

6 We support 3,000 scientists and 1,000 PhD students 1,000 research projects and 60 UK or international programmes 55 universities and 20 research institutes UK national capability: 4 ships, 7 aircraft, 6 polar stations, 6 data centres, 32 community facilities

7 Wallacea Programme Challenge A common challenge in tropical biodiverse-rich countries is to develop a resilient natural resource economy. Social and economic policy linked to environmental pressures result in land-use changes that will influence biodiversity and the ecosystem processes at multiple scales - impacting on a scale across more than one country. There is a need to move to a natural resource economy will necessitate radical improvements in the quality and quantity of information to understand the breadth and contribution to ecosystem services made by biodiversity.

8 Wallacea Call Aims Develop knowledge of Wallacea region biodiversity and ecosystems responses to change; Use this knowledge to understand biodiversity connectivity across the region exploring resilience, tradeoffs; Understand the value (economic, environmental and social) attached to the region s natural capital assets (via the benefits and services derived)

9 Analysis and data across scales

10 From communities of organisms to communities of cells Eukaryotic cells Prokaryotic cells Expression profiles from 68K cells circulating cells. 10x Sequencer Refining mobile genetic elements and bacterial networks.

11 The technology that keeps giving: A world of possibilities Single molecule sequencing Nanowires Solid State Pores Ship-seq: Nanopore sequencing of polar microbes on board icebreakers NERC NexUSS CDT Single cell sequencing >>>>>>>>>>> ,000 How are candidate phylum JS1 bacteria adapted for life in the deep sub-seafloor biosphere? Weightman and Kille ( ) NERC NE/J011177/1

12 Museums specimens just got a whole lot more interesting: Whole mtdna capture 245 species 1500 species to come

13 Scale using satellite data

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15 Call Outputs New knowledge of Wallacea biodiversity and ecosystems responses to change to understand biodiversity connectivity across the region to explore the resilience, trade-offs, Leading to wider approaches to inform effective management, restoration, rehabilitation, and exploitation of the area s biodiversity and ecosystems, balancing the need for conservation with economic development, and supporting the social and economic stability of the region Identifying benefits/value (economic, environmental and social) attached to the region s natural capital assets (via the benefits and services derived) and therefore provide an informed approach to innovation and business activity.

16 Enough from me, want we want from you is Talk to each other, make connections links and friends Share your thoughts and views, and develop your ideas Be an ambassador for your : discipline, institution & department Think of the exciting science challenges, but also the impact and outcomes of that science for Wallacea. Simon Kerley NERC *: simker@nerc.ac.uk Connect with us: LinkedIn Scoopit!