A call for an international network of genomic observatories (GOs)

Cosmologists have estimated that 95 % of the universe is dark matter or energy whose nature is still unknown. Here on Earth, there are so many species and genes about which we know little or nothing that estimates of total biodiversity could be off by orders of magnitude. Some 1.2 million species are scientifically catalogued but the vast majority of life on Earth still exists as “dark taxa”, with perhaps 86 % of extant eukaryotic species awaiting even the most basic description [1]. Yet it is now technically possible to sequence at least one gene from every macro (>1 mm) eukaryotic species in an ecosystem, as is already being done in the Moorea Biocode Project [2]. With sequencing costs falling at a rate outstripping even Moore’s Law [3,4], we can even begin to contemplate sequencing the whole genome of most macro eukaryotes in ‘model ecosystems’. For example, 10,000 genomes would cover all known (non-microbial) species on the island and coral reefs of Moorea–the number of genomes already called for by the Genomes 10 K Project for vertebrate species [5]. Similarly, we are now able to use new metagenomic technologies to elucidate long-term patterns of complex microbial communities, as has already been demonstrated by the Western Channel Observatory (L4) in the UK [6-11]. Indeed, as the ‘genomic revolution’ gains momentum we should start imagining a world where the biodiversity of key scientific sites is comprehensively documented at the genetic level. Such work would complement global taxonomic initiatives, such as the recent call to describe 10 million species in less than 50 years [12]. What we learn from pioneering place-based genomic research efforts will reduce global costs by developing best practice and testing new techno-logies. It will also help evaluate the benefits (for science and broader society) of describing the various dimensions of biodiversity, guiding approaches (e.g., identifying the best indicators), and helping prioritize outside the focal rese