Craig Downs’ Post

🌊 Are you curious about the pressing questions facing marine conservation today? Check out a few of the most crucial issues in marine biology and ecosystem management - 🔬 Scientists from various backgrounds came together, creating a roadmap with 71 key questions that could greatly enhance our ability to conserve and manage marine resources worldwide. The questions cover a range of topics like fisheries, climate change, anthropogenic threats, ecosystems, policy, societal considerations, and more. 🌍 Dive into this comprehensive list that not only sheds light on the challenges in marine conservation but also serves as a valuable guide for researchers, policymakers, and funders to drive impactful programs in marine conservation. 🦞 Let's join the conversation and explore these critical questions that shape the future of our oceans! https://lnkd.in/dD73qiZs

A list of macroinvertebrates in Dutch water types: A first step towards an ecological classification of surface waters based on key factors https://t.co/Bov4gWUAUQ #EurekaMag

🐟 "Climate change is making it almost impossible to decide how much, where and what to sustainably fish as the fate of future fisheries is becoming increasingly uncertain. ... As the Arctic Ocean loses sea ice due to climate change, fisheries access is increasing, and large-scale exploitation is on the horizon. These changes threaten the fragile Arctic Ocean ecosystem that harbours polar bears, beluga whales, narwhals and a range of fish species, such as Arctic char and Greenland halibut. ... [Now] is the time to establish a proactive, precautionary and climate-informed management framework that considers the unique and fragile Arctic ecosystem — before any explorative fishery and ideally before large-scale, unregulated fishing activities." 🐟 Check out this article in The Conversation Canada from Andrea Bryndum-Buchholz, Postdoctoral Researcher in Marine Ecology and Climate-Impact Sciences, at Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador University of Newfoundland, to learn more about how we can support a sustainable and just future for the Arctic. 🐟 Read here: https://lnkd.in/e7eyhJQG

🇺🇿🌏Uzbekistan is establishing cooperation with the oldest international environmental organization, The Nature Conservancy On the sidelines of the COP16 Conference of the Parties to the Convention to Combat Desertification, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov held a meeting with Jennifer Morris, Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Conservancy. Read more:https://lnkd.in/eCU4eg2N

Restoring the nation's waterways may be possible if we focus attention and effort on the watersheds of our small streams. To continue making progress on the goals of the Clean Water Act we need to review what we've accomplished, critically examine what has worked and what has not, and be strategic in our future investments. Full article available at: https://lnkd.in/e-Za6ed2

A new study has developed an 'early warning system' for our seas! This research, funded by NERC: Natural Environment Research Council & ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council, identifies how climate-smart policies and targeted planning can best support marine conservation, fisheries, and aquaculture in the UK [Link to MSPACE summary for Policy Makers: https://lnkd.in/eQXs3whk This comprehensive analysis of climate change impacts provides valuable insights to ensure a thriving future for our marine ecosystems and the industries that depend on them. Excellent climate-smart marine policy and targeted planning approach: https://lnkd.in/eDiCP-Cm Great work by the cientists involved! This research is a major step forward in safeguarding the UK's precious marine environment. #MarineScience #ClimateChange #Sustainability #NERC #ESRC #UK

Just immersed myself in a fascinating article on marine conservation and habitat modeling. The depth of research and insights shared were as rich as the biodiversity they seek to protect. Here are my takeaways: - The importance of habitat suitability modeling in predicting the distribution of coral communities affected by environmental incidents. - The significance of ensemble modeling in highlighting priority regions for marine conservation beyond national jurisdictions. - The critical role of modeling in understanding the environmental niche space and distributions of deep-sea corals and sponges, aiding in fisheries management decisions. - A thought-provoking revisit of the success and failures of marine protected areas from a conservation scientist's perspective. - The necessity of understanding and addressing the threats climate change poses to marine protected areas and biodiversity. This article truly shed light on the intricate and vital work being done to safeguard our oceans. A reminder that our actions today will shape the future of marine ecosystems for generations to come. https://lnkd.in/gpcppQwH

Federal environmental policies currently do not, but perhaps should, recognize the unique role and importance of fire in ecosystems. This is the premise of a recent article published by the Association for Fire Ecology. Authored by co-leads of The Stewardship Project, a project of CWI, the article addresses how policies such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Clean Air Act (CAA), have failed to recognize the important role of beneficial fire in many fire-adapted and fire-dependent ecosystems. Beneficial fire, defined by this article as “prescribed fire, cultural burning, and wildfire managed for resource benefit,” is a critical tool for restoring ecosystem health. “Instead of recognizing beneficial fire as a baseline condition integral to the health of forests, federal statutes and regulations treat beneficial fire use as an agency or human act,” according to the authors, which creates substantial barriers and disincentives to the use of this tool. Realigning these policies to recognize fire as a natural process can help enable fire restoration in fire-dependent and fire-adapted ecosystems, mitigate wildfire risk, and improve ecosystem resilience. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/d4AvHY-z Learn more about The Stewardship Project: https://lnkd.in/guABKMqZ #climateandwildfire #fireecology #federalpolicy #environmentalpolicy #policyreform #beneficialfire #prescribedfire #culturalburning #firerestoration #wildfiremitigation #ecosystemresilience

An incredibly timely article by Clark et al., in Fire Ecology discussing key problems with fed laws and statutes that make it tough to broadly apply beneficial fire. Changes in policy and legal framing are sorely needed Give it a look..

What is tragedy of the commons? is a term popularized by an American ecologist Garrett Hardin (1968). The ‘tragedy’ is that for a time, each person, organization or nation can gain an additional benefit by using or consuming a bit more of the commons (the Earth) until a resource is used up, or an irreversible environmental change has occurred. Then everyone suffers. The tragedy of the commons is also a concept in economics that describes how shared resources can be overused and depleted when individuals act in their own self-interest. It is often used to explain the environmental problems associated with overexploitation of common resources like forests, fisheries, and water.