Advancing marine conservation
Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) were the first marine fishes brought onto CITES Appendix II at CoP12 (Santiago, Chile, November 2002 along with whale sharks and basking sharks. In contrast to those sharks, though, seahorses are traded in large numbers, with millions of individuals of tens of species moving in international trade each year. … Read more
Article impact statement: : Modeling and mapping human impacts can reveal conservation status and threat patterns for data‐poor marine species. Abstract Understanding the threats acting upon marine organisms and their conservation status is vital but challenging given a paucity of data. Here we provide a global‐scale study of cumulative human impact (CHI) and conservation status of …
Many vulnerable marine species are caught in small-scale fisheries that lack long-term records, thereby limiting the development of effective evidence-based management measures. To uncover recent trends in fish landings and value in the absence of historical data, we interviewed 77 fishers and five buyers on Phu Quoc Island in Southern Vietnam regarding their current and …
Highlights Protecting marine species requires conservation plans at broad scales. Yet broad-scale conservation planning is rare and difficult for marine species. We use Marxan to set priority habitats for seahorses in China and globally. We find existing marine protected area cannot sufficiently conserve seahorses. Seahorses need more protection in Hawaii, South Africa, Australia, and Asia. …
Abstract This study evaluated the effects of underwater noise as a source of acoustic stress in the wild populations of Hippocampus guttulatus in the Ria Formosa, south Portugal. Two different scenarios of underwater noise were tested: transient motor boat sound (63.4–127.6 dB) and constant sound produced by the motor of the boat directly above the animals (up to …
Abstract Illegal trade undermines efforts to achieve sustainable use of wildlife, including marine fishes. This study investigated the illegal trade of seahorses, among the first taxa of marine fishes to come under global trade restrictions. Seahorses are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora …
A leading argument for no-take marine protected area (marine reserve) establishment is their contribution to the conservation of biodiversity, but the impacts of reserves on ecosystem functioning have seldom been quantified. This is unusual given the value of services provided by ocean ecosystems to human well-being. While no single index can describe ecosystem function, a …
Abstract This review compiles, summarizes and provides new analytical insights on large amounts of fragmented information on the diets and feeding behaviours of syngnathids (Family Syngnathidae). This review is broken down into two distinct sections that address two central questions: How, where, when and what do syngnathids eat? How does diet differ with feeding morphology? …
Macroinvertebrates play a critical role in marine processes, are important in global fisheries, and make up the vast majority of ocean biodiversity, yet are largely overlooked in fisheries stock assessment and conservation. Marine reserves are a heavily advocated method for promoting recovery of marine biodiversity, but the design of reserves and the methods for evaluating …
Securing a healthy and biodiverse ocean is vital to our human wellbeing. However, marine conservation is challenging, especially for data-poor species, whose habitats and threats are understudied. My dissertation explored how to address such challenges at two large spatial scales (in China and globally), with a focus on the little studied seahorses (Hippocampus spp.). In …