How protected is a marine refuge, really, if oil drilling is allowed? Earlier this month, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board accepted a bid from oil company BP to explore for oil and gas in an area that includes part of Atlantic Canada’s largest marine conservation area. Read more in Hakai.
conservation
COVID-19 Is Not All Good for Wildlife
Empty beaches are both a boon and a curse for endangered sea turtles. Deer in Japanese subways, goats taking over a Welsh village. Since most people started staying at home to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, the internet has been full of stories about how “nature is healing”; how the temporary absence of […]
To Conserve Species, Traditional Local Knowledge and Science Can Complement Each Other
Estimates of animal populations made by local residents and field scientists are similar. Thais Morcatty had a problem. The ecologist at the Mamiraua Institute in Brazil needed to gather estimates of the populations of a variety of animals living in the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon for her research. But getting that information proved difficult. “It […]
‘Rediscovered’ toad was known to Colombian locals for decades
A critically endangered harlequin toad, known as the starry night toad, has been documented by biologists for the first time since 1991 in the mountains of Colombia. But unlike other such stories of “rediscovered” species, this one was never really lost – the local Arhuaco people knew exactly where the toad, which they call “gouna”, […]
Where Should the World Focus Its Ocean Conservation Efforts?
A new map shows areas of the ocean that conservationists agree are in need of protection. Countries around the world have committed to protecting 10 percent of the planet’s coastal and marine areas by 2020 as part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. But it is not always easy for countries to agree on […]
People are using mosquito nets for fishing – and it works too well
Mosquito nets designed to help stop the transmission of malaria are finding a new use – fishing. However, the way they are used could have destructive consequences for both food security and coastal ecosystems. Read more in New Scientist.
Considering the Nuclear Option in Controlling Invasive Species
Rotenone: when you absolutely, positively have to kill every last fish in the lake. How far would you go to get rid of an invasive species? In New Brunswick, conservation groups and local First Nations want to kill all of the fish in Miramichi Lake using a pesticide called rotenone. They want to reset the […]
How one Canadian scientist is tapping into the knowledge of Indigenous communities
Jean Polfus found her research was strengthened by bringing more voices to the table. Jean Polfus, a postdoctoral fellow at Trent University in Peterborough, Canada, studies the distribution and spatial organization of caribou (or reindeer; Rangifer tarandus) populations in the Sahtú region of the Northwest Territories. She explains how she collaborates with members of the Dene […]
How apps and online databases are helping conservation science to thrive
Thanks to internet-enabled technologies and citizen scientists, ecologists now have access to more data than ever before. Science is not always done by experts cloistered in ivory towers. Increasingly, ordinary people are getting involved in gathering data – on local birds, insects, plants, climate and more – through citizen science initiatives. Enlisting the public in […]
Shrinking Protected Areas Can Hurt Genetic Diversity
Populations with a variety of genes can help a species adapt to threats like diseases and climate change. Protected areas like national parks and national monuments provide a refuge for not just a wide array of different species, but for a diversity of genes within those species, according to new research. The Trump Administration’s plan […]