Operation Wallacea

We're advertising for a new permanent role on our website! Head over to https://lnkd.in/dQVx-jTi for more information about the new Fundraising and International Recruitment Coordinator role we have available. Please note this is 2 days office based in Lincolnshire, and 3 days work from home, so candidates will need to be based within the UK. There is also the opportunity to travel internationally during our summer expeditions.

Today we're kicking off the introductions for our amazing Optoberfest speakers next week. Up first we have the incredible Dr. Merlijn Jocque and Professor James Bell!   Merlijn is the founder and director of the Belgian based NGO Biodiversity Inventory for Conservation (BINCO), who have been involved with ecological and taxonomic studies at our research sites for many years. So far they have discovered 18 new species across our Honduras and Madagascar sites including a new species of wolf spider, Ocyale ghost, in Madagascar! There are many more species in the pipeline too!   James is currently working at Victoria University of Wellington, with his studies focusing on sponges. His research team has proposed sponges as potential 'winners' on future coral reefs, as they appear to be more tolerant than corals to a range of environmental stressors.    We are very excited to listen to these two talks. Find out more and how to register at opwall.com/optoberfest @biodiversity_inventory_npo @sponge_ecology

Let's introduce you to Operation Wallacea's first annual Optoberfest Science mini-conference! On 10th and 11th October we will have a number of incredible speakers deliver talks about their current work and findings, providing summaries of research achievements across a range of Opwall sites, and discussing key objectives for the coming years.   And the best bit about Optoberfest is that this amazing event is open to you guys too! We will be live-streaming all of these inspiring talks, and recording and posting them on our website so you can find out about all the cutting edge research our brilliant scientists are a part of.   Keep your eyes peeled this week for a sneak peak of the speakers, and for more information about how to be a part of Optoberfest yourself and listen to these talks!

Are you determined to become a conservationist and change the world? Or perhaps you're looking to explore a new career path and simply want to learn more?   Come along to our careers in conservation webinar on Tuesday 1st October to hear some of our top-tips on entering the field. Learn about the various journeys each of our incredible panelists took to get to where they are today, and find out how you can work towards your dream job!   Sign up for the 6pm webinar at opwall.com/free-webinar!

The Opwall Team is expanding! We are currently looking for a Research and Education Officer to join our research department, and an Intern to come and join the UK-Office Team! For more information please head to our HQ Jobs page (jobs.opwall.com) or to Environment Jobs (https://lnkd.in/eny3Y7Ty) to apply.

A new study we have collaborated on has found that protecting reef sharks requires a combination of marine protected areas and national fisheries management. When MPAs are established in nations that also limit shark fishing, conservation benefits are doubled! This study, led by @GlobalFinPrint, highlights the importance of using both approaches to rebuild reef shark populations, which have declined globally by 63%. We're proud to have contributed to this project with data from our Indonesia site. This study shows that by working together, we can make a real difference in protecting these incredible creatures. Let's keep working together to protect our oceans and the amazing species that call them home! You can find the paper in the research library on our website ⛓️ #globalfinprint #sharks #sharkresearch #conservation

Happy world turtle day! 🪸 Did you know there are seven species of sea turtle? And that, other than one species which is data deficient, all are considered vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered? Across the globe people are working to monitor and save these species at all their different life stages. The methods include egg/nest counting and defending, rearing and releasing hatchlings in safe locations, gps tracking, boosting food sources, providing care to sick individuals and working to find out what causes their illnesses... the list goes on. All this work is having a positive impact with some species showing signs of recovery. However, as the sex of turtles is determined by temperature, global warming poses a massive threat to turtle reproduction. So, while we can't all be lucky enough to work first hand with these amazing animals, doing what you can to reduce your carbon footprint and impact on global warming will help save these turtle-y awesome creatures! 📸- Pádraig O'Grady #WorldTurtleDay #SaveTheTurtles #TurtleConservation

May 20th marks World Bee day! 🐝 Today, we're celebrating the buzz-worthy importance of our tiny friends! Whether you're a bee enthusiast or just a fan of the sweet treats they bring to our tables, let's take a moment to appreciate these incredible creatures. Find out why they are so interesting by scrolling along on the post! #worldbeeday #pollinators #savethebees

It is "Endangered Species Day" today and so we wanted to highlight a few species that we see and research at our marine sites, and add some context to the word "endangered". When you first think of the word endangered, most people will think about species that are threatened globally. For example the Green turtle (Chelonia mydas), which we have a large population of at our site in Akumal, Mexico, or even Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis), These species are listed respectively as endangered and critically endangered on the @IUCN red list. However, there are also species such as the Long-spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum). This urchin is incredibly important to reef health in the Caribbean, grazing continuously on algae to allow coral to grow. However, it has suffered from local extinctions in many areas across the Caribbean, yet is not classified as endangered. When thinking about how vulnerable a species is, it is important to reflect on both the small scale issues and impacts, as well as their global conservation status.

Scientific research is right at the heart of what Operation Wallacea does, and our research outputs are vitally important for supporting conservation efforts around the globe. Since our first paper was published using OpWall data in 1996, we have been involved in over 650 publications, and have facilitated the description of 73 species new to science. Our most recent species discovery was a new species of Begonia in the cloud forests of Honduras! You can read about the new species described by Moonlight and Kelly on our blogs page, or in the publications section of our website! By joining us on expedition our volunteers get to take part in exciting research like this as well as learning a whole range of survey techniques, networking and gaining independence. Why not try it yourself? https://lnkd.in/dxutCWnn 📸 Dan Newman