Congress wrote in the preamble to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (the Act), that endangered and threatened species of wildlife and plants “are of aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people.” In this statement, Congress summarized convincing arguments made by scientists, conservationists, and others who are concerned by the disappearance of unique creatures. Congress further stated its intent that the Act should conserve the ecosystems upon which endangered and threatened species depend. Although extinctions occur naturally, scientific evidence strongly indicates that the current rate of extinction is much higher than the natural or background rate of the past. The main force driving this higher extinction rate is habitat loss. Over-exploitation of wildlife for commercial purposes, the introduction of harmful exotic (nonnative) organisms, environmental pollution, and the spread of diseases also pose serious threats to our Nation’s biological heritage.
Conservation actions carried out in the United States under the Act have been successful in preventing extinction for 99 percent of the species that have been listed as endangered or threatened. However, species loss on a global scale continues to increase due to the environmental effects of human activities. Habitat loss and degradation is the most widespread cause of species endangerment in the United States, affecting approximately 85 percent of imperiled species (Wilcove et al. 1998). Habitat loss in turn negatively affects population sizes (Donovan and Flather 2002) and reproductive success (Kurki et al. 2000). The Florida panther (Puma (=Felis) concolor coryi) is an example of a subspecies that was placed on the Endangered Species list due to habitat fragmentation and degradation. The Florida panther once ranged throughout the southeast United States but due to urbanization, it now survives in a small area of south Florida representing just 5 percent of its original range. Survival is further threatened from vehicle collisions. Another example of an endangered species threatened by habitat loss is the Great Lakes population of piping plover (Charadrius melodus). Human disturbance and predators affect nesting and fledging success.
Once designated as an endangered species, a species often needs extra protection and management intervention to prevent additional population decline, loss in genetic variation, and address exposure to stressors.
A contributor to population decline of endangered species is low recruitment and survival at different life stages. This competition seeks new technology innovations that promote recruitment and/or survival of endangered species within the United States and its Territories.
Technological innovations are under-utilized for endangered species management. However, technology innovations such as techniques, skills, methods, and processes can be used to overcome short- and long-term challenges endangered species face with recruitment or survival across age groups.
To win the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competition for Protecting Endangered Species, participants must submit their solution that promotes the long-term sustainability of endangered populations by addressing recruitment or survival due to habitat degradation or loss.
For this competition, an “endangered species” includes all terrestrial and aquatic, plants and animals currently designated as “endangered” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Act. Examples include the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), ocelot (Leopardus (=Felis) pardalis), tooth cave spider (Neoleptoneta myopica), whooping cranes (Grus Americana), and Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia).
Awards:- $100,000
Deadline:– 01-05-2022
