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Mapping Out How to Save Species

By Guest PostJuly 14, 2013Natureamphibians, analytical methods, biodiversity, birds, blue moon foundation, cambridge, clinton jenkins, conservation, duke university, England, global concentration, global network, lucas joppa, mammals, map, microsoft research, north Carolina, priority areas, protected areas, saving species blog, species, state university, stuart pimm

In stunning color, new biodiversity research from North Carolina State University maps out priority areas worldwide that hold the key to protecting vulnerable species and focusing conservation efforts.

The research, published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pinpoints the highest global concentrations of mammals, amphibians and birds on a scale that’s 100 times finer than previous assessments. The findings can be used to make the most of available conservation resources, said Dr. Clinton Jenkins, lead author and research scholar at NC State University. (more…)

Boat noise stops fish finding home

By Guest PostJuly 2, 2013Environment, Natureacoustic cues, andy radford, background noise, boat noise, bristol, coastal environment, coral reef fish, french polynesia, human activities, invertebrate, larval, liege, orientation behavior, pollutants, protected areas, sophie holles, steve simpson, traffic noise, universities of exeter, university of bristol

Boat noise disrupts orientation behaviour in larval coral reef fish, according to new research from the Universities of Exeter, Bristol and Liège.

Reef fish are normally attracted by reef sound but the study, conducted in French Polynesia, found that fish are more likely to swim away from recordings of reefs when boat noise is added.

Co-author, Dr Steve Simpson, a marine biologist at the University of Exeter, said: “Boat noise may scare fish, affecting their ecology. Since one in five people in the world rely on fish as their major source of protein, regulating traffic noise in important fisheries areas could help marine communities and the people that depend on them.” (more…)

Sea Turtles Benefiting From Protected Areas

By Guest PostMay 5, 2013Naturealgae, andrew crowder, atris, benthic habitat, carolina, coral reefs, data, dave zawada, dry tortugas, endangered, florida, florida keys, georeferenced, green sea turtle, habitat, hawaii, herbivorous, invertebrates, jellyfish, kaare iverson, kristen hart, national park, protected areas, puerto rico, research ecologist, sea turtle habitat, sea turtles, seafloor, seagrasses, synergistic approach, U.S. Geological Survey, underwater camera system, usgs, vegetarian, virgin islands

Study Offers First Look at Green Sea Turtle Habitat Use in the Dry Tortugas

DRY TORTUGAS, Fla. – Nesting green sea turtles are benefiting from marine protected areas by using habitats found within their boundaries, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study that is the first to track the federally protected turtles in Dry Tortugas National Park.

Green turtles are listed as endangered in Florida and threatened throughout the rest of their range, and the habits of green sea turtles after their forays to nest on beaches in the Southeast U.S. have long remained a mystery. Until now, it was not clear whether the turtles made use of existing protected areas, and few details were available as to whether they were suited for supporting the green sea turtle’s survival. (more…)

Protected areas successfully prevent deforestation in Amazon rainforest

By Guest PostMarch 22, 2013EnvironmentAmazon, amazon deforestation rates, Amazon rainforest, arun agrawal, betty moore foundation, brazilian amazon, christoph nolte, datasets, deforestation pressure, deforestation rates, human settlements, indigenous groups, kirsten m silvius, prevent deforestation, protected areas, reducing carbon emissions, reducing deforestation, remote sensing, snre, statistical analysis, university of michigan

ANN ARBOR — Strictly protected areas such as national parks and biological reserves have been more effective at reducing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest than protected zones that allow for controlled removal of trees and other natural resources.

In addition, protected areas established primarily to safeguard the rights and livelihoods of indigenous people performed especially well in places where deforestation pressures are high, two University of Michigan researchers and their colleagues determined. (more…)

Tag Archives: protected areas

Mapping Out How to Save Species

Boat noise stops fish finding home

Sea Turtles Benefiting From Protected Areas

Protected areas successfully prevent deforestation in Amazon rainforest