Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR)’s Post

A Wild idea: How about extending Geres National Park down to the Algarve by connecting strategic land for biodiversity and conservation - creating interconnected mosaics of forests and other ecosystem biodiversity hotspots? Getting private landowners who do not cultivate land or do not use land to donate and well-off people to buy and donate into a park system? Let people continue living in a regenerative way in and next to the park and rewilding and reforesting the whole of Portugal. Let the wolf come back to the Algarve, where it belongs by its birthright, perhaps we could live in reciprocity with them once again? With projects and networks already in course, both larger and medium-scale initiatives, we could do this (some are tagged below - please tag your colleagues and friends who would be interested in thinking together). Establishing a trail system, establishing art-science residencies along the routes, creating citizen science and engagement programmes, bringing back forest guards(ians)... and more. What it would require? What type of network? What kind of efforts? Who needs to be involved? What needs to shift and how to support this? Who thinks it is doable? What are the possibilities? Natura 2000 and making it work, Private Protected Areas network, legal rights of nature, community forests, restoring baldios, what more? Is it too wild? Curious to hear what you think. Justin Roborg-Söndergaard Ivan Sellers Claudian D. Filipa Sanchez Marjolein Nagel João Salgueiro Manuel Vilhena Maurício Umann Victor Vorski 🍀 José Ladeira José Serra 🔷 Jesper Carvalho Andersen Hendrik Jan Laseur GEOTA Cabeço Santo - Recuperação Ecológica e Paisagística VALE DAS LOBAS Fundação Terra Agora Filipa Simões Fernando Antunes Amaral Helena Freitas Dylan Vincent Chester Susana Guimarães Xander Bueno de Mesquita Marinus Luiten #biodiversity #ecologicalcorridor #forest #ecosystemrestoration #reforestation

Costa Rica is a country have made great efforts to guarantee the conservation of the ecosystems and biodiversity. Historically we been taking a world's leadership being an example. However, these advances are now threatened due the pasive and irresponsible actions and omissions of the current government leaving unattended the protected areas without budget and even worse making moves to take away competences to the technical institutions such the National System of Conservation Areas, leaving the space for political authorities develop the governance instead the technical or scientific criteria. We need to call World's attention to stop the obsessive attempts to move backwards on our approaches giving a very bad message. https://lnkd.in/eGxr_Mm8

Protecting Rhinos: Safeguarding the Heartbeat of Dinokeng Game Reserve, South Africa Dinokeng Game Reserve, nestled in the heart of South Africa, is not just a sanctuary for wildlife enthusiasts; it's a testament to the delicate balance of ecosystems. At the core of this balance stands the majestic rhinoceros, a keystone species whose presence echoes far beyond its imposing figure. Rhinos, particularly the critically endangered black and white species, are the guardians of biodiversity in Dinokeng. As the largest herbivores in the reserve, they shape the landscape through their grazing habits, maintaining a healthy balance between grasslands and forests. Their seemingly destructive behavior actually promotes the growth of diverse vegetation, benefiting numerous other species. Beyond their role as ecosystem engineers, rhinos are also instrumental in supporting local economies. Dinokeng Game Reserve draws tourists from around the globe, eager to catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. The revenue generated from ecotourism not only sustains the reserve but also supports community development initiatives, creating a cycle of conservation and prosperity. However, the future of rhinos in Dinokeng and across Africa hangs in the balance. Poaching remains a significant threat, driven by the illegal demand for rhino horn in traditional medicine and luxury markets. Despite concerted conservation efforts, including anti-poaching patrols and community engagement programs, the battle to protect these iconic animals continues. The importance of rhinos in Dinokeng extends beyond their ecological and economic significance; it symbolizes our collective responsibility to safeguard our planet's biodiversity. By preserving these gentle giants, we uphold the integrity of ecosystems, ensure the survival of countless other species, and reaffirm our commitment to conservation. As we strive to protect rhinos in Dinokeng, let us also recognize the broader implications of their conservation. It is not just about saving a species; it's about preserving our natural heritage for generations to come. Together, we can ensure that the heartbeat of Dinokeng continues to echo through the African wilderness, a testament to the resilience and beauty of our planet's biodiversity.

𝐌𝐚𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 Next to the world-famous Maasai Mara national reserve, an indigenous forest called Nyekweri serves as a sanctuary for elephants, rare birds such as the bright green Schalow’s turaco, a small nocturnal mammal called the tree hyrax and the endangered giant pangolin. Despite its importance as a conservation hotspot and ecotourism destination, Nyekweri is disappearing. Originally, it spanned 500km² but more than 50% of this forest has been cleared within two decades by local communities. Gabriella Santini discusses how we can save this precious ecosystem and support local people in this thoughtful and deeply research article ⬇️. The Maasai Maras is close to my heart and I hope the communities will work together to build more conservancies. I will leave you with Gabriella's words "𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘪-𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵-𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴." https://lnkd.in/eQvuCDrp

The term ‘other effective area-based conservation measure’ describes a geographic site, which is not within a protected area, that delivers long-term biodiversity conservation under equitable governance and management. OECMs can be governed by a variety of rights holders and actors including Indigenous peoples and local communities, government agencies, as well as sectoral actors, private organizations, and individuals. Just 17 of the world’s 190 or so countries contain 70 percent of its biodiversity, earning them the title “megadiverse.” India is one of these megadiverse countries with 2.4% of the land area, accounting for 7-8% of the species of the world, including about 91,000 species of animals and 45,500 species of plants, that have been documented in its ten bio-geographic regions. Awareness on OECM plays a very vital role in protection/conservation of such varied range of flora and fauna in India. North East part of India hosts various such OECM areas. In my recent blog post one such area is highlighted. #naturebasedsolutions #biodiversity #sustainabledevelopment #deepecology #ecotourism

🌊Underwater biodiversity in the Wadden Sea is poorly protected🌊 Despite its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Natura2000 area, only 10% of the underwater habitat is effectively protected. This is shown in a recent study from the #WaddenMosaic research programme, conducted by our institute, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and Natuurmonumenten. Key findings🗝️ 1️⃣Ecological hotspots identified: For the first time, maps of the ecological hotspots in the Wadden Sea were produced. These areas are rich in species like lugworms, shellfish, starfish, and crabs, which are vital to the food web. 🪱🐚🦀 2️⃣Protection mismatch: Many conservation measures fail to target these biodiversity-rich areas, leaving the most valuable habitats poorly safeguarded or entirely unprotected. 3️⃣Human activity and disturbance: only 10% of the underwater parts of the Wadden Sea have limited human and economic activity, while only 2% is completely free from disturbance. Why it matters❗ The findings call for a rethink in marine protection strategies to focus on the most critical ecological areas. It has been agreed at the European level that nature in the Wadden Sea may not deteriorate any further. Nature organizations, governments, scientists, and interest groups have therefore made agreements on how to achieve a thriving Wadden Sea, where nature can recover and fully perform its essential role for migratory birds and as a breeding ground for fish stocks. Read more on our website: https://lnkd.in/dWquQVpd #WaddenSea #Conservation #Biodiversity #MarineProtectedAreas #Sustainability

On World Wildlife Day, which is celebrated today, it is important to promote awareness of the multitude of benefits that the conservation of wild fauna and flora brings to people and the planet. But also, about the urgency of acting in this direction. Biodiversity conservation is an integral and priority part of the sustainable forest management practices that The Navigator Company implements in the approximately 107 thousand hectares of forest under its responsibility in Portugal. In this territory, around 1,000 species and subspecies of flora and 253 species of fauna have been identified, according to the latest monitoring actions carried out in 2023. These actions are crucial to adapting forest management and requalification and restoration projects. Over the past year, around 191 hectares of land have been subject to such interventions, aimed at maintaining or improving the condition of natural and semi-natural habitats - by improving habitat conditions, we can encourage the presence of all dependent wildlife species. Biodiversity conservation is a value practiced every day in Navigator's forests. It is in line with its corporate commitment to contribute to leaving future generations a better planet. https://lnkd.in/dDgmVWB #TheNavigatorCompany #WorldWildlifeDay #biodiversity #sustainability

Today is World Nature Conservation Day, and it's all about raising awareness for protecting natural habitats and preserving biodiversity.  Sustainability is in the core of our foundations. We're incredibly proud to team up with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), an organisation doing groundbreaking work to conserve animals and their habitats worldwide. We’re committed to partnering with ZSL in enabling them to run conservation projects to protect endangered species and promote biodiversity. Here are just some of the great things the teams have done to support their amazing work: - We procure all our timber from FSC companies with chain of custodies provided for ZSL - We created mud shoes for the conservation team so they could do their work out in the estuaries and wetlands (we have done a post about this before tho as attached) - We have created transport crates for the partula snails to travel back to Polynesia – to date 15,000 of these have been reintroduced together with the international zoo community Beyond our work with ZSL, we’re committed to sustainability in all areas of our business: Reducing our carbon footprint with electric vehicles. Implementing energy-efficient solutions for us and our clients. Promoting sustainable sourcing and cutting down on waste. #NatureConservation | #Sustainability | #ConservationProjects | #FacilitiesManagement | #EcoPartnerships | #GreenInitiatives | #SustainableBusiness | #ESG

Luontoa has been supporting Forest Stewardship Council in its efforts to understand and evaluate FSC forest management certification contributions to maintaining, protecting and improving forest biodiversity. The results of the project are promising, and showcase already FSC's tangible impacts, but it remains clear that more information and data are needed to ensure effective and accurate monitoring of the outcomes of FSC certification. It has been a great opportunity to support a global leading certification scheme on the journey to understanding and underlining the importance of impacts and outcomes. #cop16 #biodiversity #impacts #fsc

What is the value of responsible forest stewardship for biodiversity?     Two years ago, we launched an initiative to fast-track Biodiversity Assessments in FSC-certified forests. Together with WWF, IKEA, and other partners, we have been working to enhance the understanding and monitoring of the effects of FSC certification on biodiversity.    Today, on #COP16 Forest Day, we share the initial findings that indicate positive impacts of FSC certification:   🌿 In Brazilian FSC-certified plantations and their set-asides, we identified over 300 threatened species—primates, reptiles, plants, birds, and large mammals.   🌿 In Finland, FSC certification is associated with a large increase in area (460%) dedicated to conservation, compared to the conservation area set by law.  🌿In Sweden, key forest indicators and red-listed species have remained stable in certified forests over the past two decades.  🌿FSC-attributable set-aside areas enhance forest connectivity in both Brazilian and Finnish landscapes.    Learn more about the findings and the project here: https://lnkd.in/e2sgUMaQ   Come talk to us at COP 16 to learn how FSC sets the gold standard for biodiversity protection in certified forests! //Photos by iStock, FSC/ Jonathan Perugia #COP16Colombia #PeaceWithNature #ForestsForAllForever