UCL Department of Geography’s Post

Marine protected areas established worldwide aim to safeguard biodiversity and support coastal ecosystem functioning.🌊 In Hong Kong, despite the operation of protected marine parks and a no-take marine reserve under legislation for many years, a comprehensive evaluation of their conservation impact is still lacking. Most studies focus solely on taxonomic diversity, overlooking functional and phylogenetic diversity.🔎 In a study led by SKLMP Director Prof. Kenneth Leung, SKLMP Member and research assistant professor Dr. Meng Yan, and her postdoc Dr. Rongjie Zhao, the team utilized environmental DNA🧬 and multifaceted diversity indicators to assess the impact of protection levels on the fish community🐟 in Hong Kong waters. The results indicate that marine protected areas contribute significantly to fish community conservation, with the no-take marine reserve exhibiting the highest diversity, and partially protected marine parks showing the most balanced community composition. There was no significant increase in fish functional diversity within the protected areas. The researchers suggest that future management of marine protected areas should consider multifaceted biological indicators for effective conservation schemes👐. 🌊More information: https://lnkd.in/gGNeftSD #CityU #城大 #SKLMP #海洋污染國家重點實驗室 #研究 #research #nature #marine #biodiversity #生物多樣性 #海洋生物 #Marineorganisms #marineconservation #marinebiology #marinelife #海洋保育 #海洋生物學 #oceanconservation #ocean

A new study headed by Joshua Elves-Powell and Jai Dolan sheds light on deforestation in North Korea. Published in Regional Environmental Change with partners at UCL Seoul National University, Tiger and Leopard Conservation Fund in Korea (KTLCF) and NINA - Norsk institutt for naturforskning, the study highlights cropland expansion and the increased clearance of forest areas close to North Korea's border with China, important habitat for endangered native wildlife. The research team warn that ongoing removal of forest cover in North Korea puts the country at greater risk from #climatechange, particularly flooding and landslides during the summer rainy season, and presents a major challenge to Korean biodiversity recovery. https://ow.ly/SyME50SmsnM

Finally IUCN is in Central Asia

🌿 Santiago Island: Balancing History with Conservation Challenges 🐦 Formerly known as James Island, Santiago Island in the Galápagos archipelago is a testament to the intersection of history and conservation. Its significance stretches back to the early encounters of explorers like Charles Darwin aboard the Beagle, marking a pivotal chapter in the study of evolutionary biology. Today, Santiago continues to grapple with invasive species and habitat degradation. While introduced goats and donkeys have been successfully removed, persistent threats to its ecosystems remain, posing significant challenges to native biodiversity. Despite these ongoing obstacles, concerted conservation efforts led by organizations such as Galápagos Conservancy strive to restore and protect the island's ecological integrity. Through collaborative initiatives focused on ecosystem restoration and invasive species eradication, conservationists are working towards ensuring Santiago Island's conservation for future generations. Join us in acknowledging the complexities of Santiago's history and supporting ongoing efforts to conserve its natural heritage. 📸 Pete Oxford #SantiagoIslandHistory #GalapagosConservationChallenges

#IssueCover All the papers in Volume 4, Issue 4 (December 2024) 🔗https://lnkd.in/gWBt-_Ax Cover Paper: The #Conservation of Biodiverse and Threatened Dry #Rainforest Plant Communities Is Vital in a Changing #Climate 📷https://lnkd.in/gpgwS2JN #PhylogeneticDiversity #DNAbarcode 🧐Cover Story: Compared to mesic rainforests, dry rainforests are less studied and conserved despite global threats from human activity and climate change. To counter biodiversity loss and prioritize conservation, critical habitats at risk must be located. We assessed dry rainforest plant diversity, uniqueness, and conservation along the Australian Central Queensland Coast, evaluating species composition and phylogenetic diversity using species lists and DNA barcoding. The results showed geology and moisture significantly impact distribution and diversity, with conservation levels varying. Some distinctive communities are well conserved, but restricted, while endangered dry rainforests that show regional plant migration are poorly protected, highlighting the need to revise conservation objectives within the region.

🔔The new Belgian marine spatial plan is under public review.  Let your voice be heard! Citizens can comment on the new marine spatial plan until the end of August. The plan states where there is room for which activities in the Belgian North Sea. 👏For the first time, marine reserves have been designated in the new marine spatial plan. The current plan will run until 2026. Luckily, the new one applies for a period of 8 years, until 2034, which will allow more time for nature to restore itself. 🐳The delineation of (strictly) protected marine areas fits within both the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the global biodiversity framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (30% protected natural areas) and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 (10% strictly protected natural areas). #4Sea #NorthSea #Marinespatialplan #marinereserve #oceanprotection Image: Misjel Decleer

Did you know that the Mediterranean region holds incredible biodiversity? With 17,000 marine species and outstanding flora diversity, it's a hotspot for unique and endemic life forms. Despite its richness, much of the Mediterranean region is facing a multitude of threats from climate change to invasive species. These threats extend to the marine, where only about 10% of the Mediterranean Sea has management plans in place. That's where we come in. At IUCN Med, we generate vital data and scientific information to guide conservation efforts and policy decisions. Our analyses inform recommendations for policymakers and conservationists, and we provide a neutral forum for multi-stakeholder agreements. Additionally, we offer implementation support and share lessons learned from project experiences. As IUCN we also develop red lists to help guide conservation efforts. We have evaluated 2,949 species for the Mediterranean Red List, to help assess their conservation status and the main threats they face. Explore our collection of Mediterranean Red Lists to learn more about the conservation status of various taxa, from marine species to pollinators: https://lnkd.in/gVxfGeXM Let's continue working together to protect and preserve the rich biodiversity of the Mediterranean region and beyond! #WorldBiodiversityDay #BiodiversityConservation #MediterraneanBiodiversity

This month, UWA and UTAS researchers from the GSR Research Partnership joined forces in Western Australia to conduct the long-term biodiversity surveys in Jurien Bay Marine Park. These surveys have been running for 25 years and provide a comprehensive assessment of fishes, invertebrates and seaweeds throughout the marine park. Jurien Bay Marine Park is a critically important area within the Great Southern Reef due to its high diversity of seaweeds and the confluence of warm-water and cool-temperate species. Across the GSR, warming is causing an increase in warm-affiliated species and a decline in cool-temperate species - a phenomenon known as tropicalisation. Across an 80km stretch of coastline, the team recorded almost 400 species of seaweed - which to put into context is almost as many as the number of hard coral species recorded across the entire Great Barrier Reef.

🪸The seventh International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC) conference  convened this week (13-18 Oct), where early-career researcher Dr Nina Rivers will be contributing in two of the events: 🔹Today, Nina will be part of a panel discussion on "Preserving Cultural Heritage, Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge, and Decolonising Marine Conservation" (Wednesday 16 October at 13:30): – she will be drawing from her experience in Algoa Bay as well as across the Hub regarding participatory research methods. The panel is organised by SANBI - South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. 🔹On Friday (18 October at 15:30) Nina will also be presenting "Our Coasts, Our Voices: Mapping and integrating sociocultural uses in marine spatial planning in Algoa Bay”- this talk will speak to the importance and complexity of trying to map culturally significant areas for marine spatial planning in South Africa. 📖 Read more here >> https://lnkd.in/eHy8yQ9p International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) The Nature Conservancy, WWF, CORDIO East Africa , African Union - Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), WIOMSA - Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association, Nairobi Convention Secretariat , SCB Marine #culturalheritage #indigenousknowledge #traditionalknowledge #decolonising #marineconservation #algoabay #participatory #panel #oceanbiodiversity #coastalmapping #marinespatialplanning #sociocultural #southafrica #collaboration #capacitybuilding #scalability #sustainability #ecosystems #IMCC7

These Indigenous people in Chile are protecting their ancestral #heritage – and climate-proofing their #food. Embedding traditional #ecological knowledge and partnering with #Indigenous peoples can boost the long-term impact of efforts to protect the #environment. Learn more in the World Economic Forum report, Embedding Indigenous Knowledge in the Conservation and Restoration of Landscapes: https://ow.ly/IykH50UnxPQ #SeedGuardians #Mapuche #IndigenousKnowledge #ClimateResilience #FoodSecurity