Rewilding & Conservation News and Discussions

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New study finds that 70% of Florida's coral reefs are eroding
https://phys.org/news/2022-12-florida-c ... oding.html
by University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science

A new study has found that 70% of Florida's reefs are eroding and experiencing net loss of reef habitat. The research, conducted by an interdisciplinary group of scientists through the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Science, provides new information on the state of Florida's world-famous coral reefs.

The study, titled "Low net carbonate accretion characterizes Florida's coral reef," was published Nov. 15 in the journal Scientific Reports.

"This research helps us to better understand which reefs along Florida's reef tract are vulnerable to habitat loss and require management and restoration efforts to prevent further habitat loss," said the study's lead author John Morris, a researcher at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. "On the contrary, we also identified reefs that may be potential hold-outs to reef development and are more likely to persist in the future."

The researchers analyzed the benthic ecology, which is the assemblage of all living organisms inhabiting the sea floor, and parrotfish data from 723 reef sites in three biogeographic regions across the state's reef tract to calculate each site's carbonate budget. The reef tract extends 350 miles from the Dry Tortugas to the St. Lucie Inlet. A positive carbonate budget indicates a reef is growing over time, whereas a negative carbonate budget suggests the reef is losing structure.

The data, from NOAA's National Coral Reef Monitoring Program and National Geodetic Surveys, was used to calculate carbonate production and carbonate erosion throughout South Florida. The primary drivers of carbonate budgets along the Florida reef tract are the amount of coral cover and parrotfish biomass. The researchers found that 506 of the sites were losing reef habitat on an annual basis.
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Biodiversity: 'Magical marine species' pushed to extinction

1 hour ago

A "sea cow" that evoked tales of mermaids is being driven to the edge of extinction, conservation experts warn.

According to an update of the official extinction list, the dugong is almost wiped out in some parts of the world.

Scientists have also sounded alarm over the loss of other marine creatures, including exotic coral and shellfish.

They said humans had created a "perfect storm" that threatens marine life across the globe.

The International Union for Conservation for Nature (IUCN), which compiles the official Red List of endangered species, revealed the latest findings at the UN biodiversity conference, COP 15.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63911045

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Scientists freeze Great Barrier Reef coral in world-first trial
By Jill Gralow

SYDNEY, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Scientists working on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have successfully trialled a new method for freezing and storing coral larvae they say could eventually help rewild reefs threatened by climate change.

Scientists are scrambling to protect coral reefs as rising ocean temperatures destabilise delicate ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef has suffered four bleaching events in the last seven years including the first ever bleach during a La Nina phenomenon, which typically brings cooler temperatures.

Cryogenically frozen coral can be stored and later reintroduced to the wild but the current process requires sophisticated equipment including lasers. Scientists say a new lightweight "cryomesh" can be manufactured cheaply and better preserves coral.
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/scien ... 022-12-19/
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A 'Weak' Global Biodiversity Pact Approved at COP15 Despite Objections of African Nations
by Jon Queally
December 19, 2022

Introduction:
(Common Drreams) Over the objections of the Democratic Republic of Congo and frustrations by other African nations, a final draft of The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted in the early hours of Monday that conservationists say is not strong enough to prevent industries and corporate behemoths from continuing their destructive, profit-driven attacks on the natural world and vulnerable species.

"The draft agreement is weak," said An Lambrechts, leader of Greenpeace International's delegation at the summit, following the release of the final draft text on Sunday. "This is an open invitation to greenwash. In its present shape, it won't halt biodiversity loss, much less reverse it."

Some NGOs praised the deal as a historic achievement that followed years of negotiations at the international level under the Convention of the Parties process and Inger Anderson, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, said the "adoption of this Framework and the associated package of ambitious targets, goals and financing represents but a first step in resetting our relationship with the natural world."

The key agreement under the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is the goal of protecting 30 percent of all land and water vital to species and ecosystems by the year 2030. This compares to the current situation in which less than 17% of land and just 10% percent of marine environments are under formal protections...

But the approval of the deal was not without controversy.


Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022 ... n-nations
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The World Made a Biodiversity Pact, and the U.S. Is Not Part of It
by Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield
December 22, 2022

Introduction:
(Mother Jones) Only two countries in the world have not joined the UN Convention on Biological Diversity: the Vatican and the US. Few have missed the Holy See, but the US not joining the CBD 30 years ago has been described as the “major holdout” among countries looking to support the convention’s goals.

In Montreal, where negotiations for this decade’s UN biodiversity targets are entering their frantic final stages, the absence of the US political machine is noticeable, changing the power dynamics in talks between the remaining 196 countries.

The EU is the main player from the global north and, as a result, weathers much of the criticism, accusations of hypocrisy and demands for money that the US is accustomed to getting in climate talks.

China holds the presidency of Cop15, the first time it has led on a major UN environment deal. A month ago, at Cop27, the US climate envoy, John Kerry, striding around the blue zone in Sharm El-Sheikh was ever-present before he caught Covid-19, and his face-offs with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, were always noteworthy. The US pavilion was a focal point for announcements, and the country’s scientists, campaigners and policymakers were important voices on the climate. All that is missing in Canada.

Further Extract:
Bill Clinton signed the CBD on the US’s behalf in 1993, but the Senate refused to ratify it. The Guardian columnist George Monbiot has criticized the US for not being a party to the convention, saying it provides other countries with a permanent excuse to participate in name only. But it is not expected to join any time soon, as international treaties need to be ratified by a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
Read more here: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2 ... d-states/
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Bison rewilding in Kent gets boost as bull joins female herd,
12,000 years after the animals last roamed Britain


Saturday 24 December 2022 01:03, UK

A rewilding project to reintroduce bison to Britain now has "the missing piece of the jigsaw" after a bull finally arrived from Germany to join the all-female herd.

The male European bison is vital to swell the numbers at the Wilder Blean project in the ancient woodland near Canterbury in Kent.

It is a joint project between two charities - Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust - and "a privilege" to be part of, according to the latter's director of zoological operations, Mark Habben.

"It's brilliant to see these animals out acting naturally in this incredible landscape, but it's been a slog to get here," he said.

"It's been challenging - paperwork, veterinary matters, discussion with the EU just to try and navigate the movement of animals into the UK in a post-Brexit world, but we're here now and incredibly happy to be."

https://news.sky.com/story/bison-rewild ... n-12773798


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Chester Zoo celebrates birth of world's rarest chimpanzee

4 hours ago

A critically endangered Western chimpanzee, which conservationists say is the "world's rarest chimpanzee", has been born at a zoo.

Chester Zoo said the birth was a "small but vital boost" to the global population of the species which is "under huge threat" in the wild.

The "baby boy" is in good health and has bonded well with its mother and the rest of the troop, it added.

In line with the zoo's tradition, it will be named after a rock or pop star.

Andrew Lenihan, from Chester Zoo, said: "We've previously welcomed Dylan (Bob), Alice (Cooper) and Annie (Lennox) - so watch this space.

"Mum ZeeZee and her new arrival instantly bonded and she's doing a great job of cradling him closely and caring for him."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... e-64241306


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Credit: Chester Zoo
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Britain’s Protected Natural Areas are Failing to stop Biodiversity Loss
by Jospeh Lee
January 25, 2023

Introduction:
(Grist) In the United Kingdom, some species of bees, ladybugs and spider populations are declining at faster rates in protected natural areas. That’s according to a new study that shows protected areas in the U.K. are as vulnerable to biodiversity loss as their unprotected counterparts.

The report from researchers at the United Kingdom Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the University of Sheffield, shows that protected areas – which have been seen as key to protecting biodiversity – can be effective at protecting rare species, but have been unsuccessful in protecting common species.

“It is worrying, as you would expect species to show more positive trends in protected areas,” said Rob Cooke, lead author of the study. “It should serve as a warning as today’s common species can be tomorrow’s rare species.

In the U.K., data shows that on average, three species are lost each decade in protected areas while in unprotected areas, only two species per decade. Researchers say this phenomenon in protected areas could be explained by external factors like climate change and the steady encroachment of development along protected borders. However, researchers also say protected areas in the U.K. have nearly double the number of rare species than their unprotected counterparts.

The report comes amid a global push to protect 30 percent of the planet’s land and water by 2030, known as the 30X30 plan. Data on the U.K.’s protected areas suggest that as the country works toward that goal, how areas are protected is as important as their size. At the recent United Nations biodiversity conference, delegates from nearly 200 countries agreed to formalize 30X30. But many environmentalists say more ambitious targets should be set to protect the world’s remaining biodiversity while Indigenous peoples say a failure by world leaders to recognize Indigenous rights, territories and knowledge has led to land grabs and human rights abuses.
Read more of the Grist article here: https://grist.org/international/britai ... ty-loss/

For a presentation of the study results: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ ... hub#s0090
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Biden protects vast wilderness area in Minnesota from mining
Source: Washington Post
The Biden administration is banning mining for 20 years in a giant watershed in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the president’s latest effort to deliver on conservation pledges that would shape the future of America’s wild lands. The move, announced Thursday, extends a temporary decision from a year ago to block copper, nickel and other hardrock mining that the Trump administration had tried to greenlight near the Canadian border.

Officials said they determined the potential toxic leaching from mining would be too threatening to nature, local Native American communities and a growing recreation economy. Boundary Waters is the most heavily visited wilderness area in the country, according to the Interior Department. And Thursday’s decision will effect 225,000 acres of federal lands and waters in the Rainy River Watershed, about a fourth of the wilderness area northwest of Lake Superior.

It comes a day after the administration took action to protect Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, and as it faces other decisions on hotly fought over sites in Alaska and Nevada. The Biden administration has promised to set aside sacred tribal sites and to conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030, but has come under fire for how to balance that push with demand for oil, renewable energy and minerals.

“The Department of the Interior takes seriously our obligations to steward public lands and waters on behalf of all Americans,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “Protecting a place like Boundary Waters is key to supporting the health of the watershed and its surrounding wildlife, upholding our Tribal trust and treaty responsibilities, and boosting the local recreation economy.”
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate- ... rs-mining/
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Tribe, Salmon Win in Fight Over Upper Klamath Lake Water
by Eric Burkett
February 6 , 2023

Introduction:
SAN FRANCISCO (Courthouse News) — Chalk up a victory for the Endangered Species Act, the Yurok Tribe, and the salmon fisheries of the California coast. And, of course, the Coho and Chinook salmon upon which the tribe and the fisheries depend.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick III issued a summary ruling in favor of the United States and a collection of fishing advocates and the tribe on Monday in a complex suit involving several tribal, governmental and quasi-governmental agencies in a complicated network of cross-claims from both California and Oregon.

“It’s complicated,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Patti Goldman with the environmental law firm Earthjustice. “And in a way it’s not complicated.”
First filed in 2019, the case ultimately came down to one issue: Must the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation comply with an order from the Oregon Water Resources Department blocking it from releasing water from the Upper Klamath Lake? Orrick ruled the answer is no and granted summary judgement in favor of the United States and the plaintiffs which in addition to the Yurok Tribe included the Institute for Fisheries Resources, and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.

Since the bureau must comply with the Endangered Species Act, so too must Oregon's water agency. Another party in the Gordian knot of claims and counterclaims also lost out: the Klamath Water Users Association, an organization representing farmers and ranchers, as well as suburban and rural water districts. Their counterclaim that the Endangered Species Act didn’t require Reclamation to alter its management of the lake water to benefit endangered species was also denied.
Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/tribe-s ... ke-water/
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