Advancing marine conservation
Ecosystems are shaped by natural processes such as predator–prey interactions and climate, as well as by human activities such as harvesting and pollution. Resilient ecosystems are able to absorb disturbances, but chronic stressors may reduce the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with change. The ability of ecosystems to absorb disturbance and at the same …
Context Urgent action is needed to track and protect seahorse populations around the world — and the few researchers focused on these important animals worldwide are not going be able to do it alone. Seahorses are threatened by overfishing, harmful fishing practices, and habitat degradation and loss — including the destruction of coral reefs. Every …
Here we explore the tradeoffs between the distances that gleaning and non-gleaning fishers travelled, and the benefits they gained. We found that gleaners stayed close to their starting location and obtained larger, more valuable catches when they travelled further. Non-gleaning fishers travelled four times further on average, but travelling far did not correspond to larger …
Here we explore the tradeoffs between the distances that gleaning and non-gleaning fishers travelled, and the benefits they gained. We found that gleaners stayed close to their starting location and obtained larger, more valuable catches when they travelled further. Non-gleaning fishers travelled four times further on average, but travelling far did not correspond to larger …
With their horse-like heads, monkey-like tails, kangaroo-like pouches, and chameleon-like eyes, seahorses are among the strangest and most iconic fish species in our oceans. Adult seahorses have few predators, thanks to their ability to change colour and grow skin filaments to blend in with their surroundings. Their bony plates and spines make them unappealing to …
This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Three knowledge shortfalls The fundamental taxonomic units of conservation biogeography Spatial distributions: from genes to biogeographical regions Mapping function Natural units in the marine realm Riddle, B.R., Ladle R.J., Lourie S.A. & R.J. Whittaker (2011). Basic Biogeography: Estimating Biodiversity and Mapping Nature, in Conservation Biogeography (eds R.J. Ladle and …
This chapter contains sections titled: Origins Typology of frameworks Terrestrial protected area schemes Marine protected areas Current trends and future directions Jepson, P.R., Whittaker R.J. & S.A. Lourie (2011) The shaping of the global protected area estate. In: Conservation Biogeography (eds R. J. Ladle and R. J. Whittaker) John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK. …
For economic, ecological, and social reasons, it is important to explore how globalization might be changing conservation and management of fisheries. In international arenas, little attention has been given to the exploitation of species for non-food purposes ranging from medicines to bioremediation to souvenirs. Such fisheries range from very small-scale catches for personal use (e.g., …
MY Darwin Initiative grant, for Conservation biology of seahorses and pipefishes (1994-1996), has made a global conservation impact. Darwin funding allowed me to launch conservation field-work with colleagues in Vietnam and the Philippines. In collaboration with communities, we looked at the biology of seahorses and pipefishes, the ecological and socioeconomic importance of their exploitation, and …
Catch monitoring and surveys were used to assess the seahorse trade in Vietnam. Despite low daily catch rates, potentially 6.5 t of dried seahorses (∼2.2 million seahorses) were taken annually as bycatch by trawlers operating out of five coastal provinces of Vietnam. Individual seahorse catches were collated by a few local buyers, who supplied wholesalers …