🌊 Rock sponges in the Eastern Mediterranean provide crucial deep-sea habitats. With the increasing anthropogenic impacts in deep waters, #SponBIODIV ( #BiodivProtect) highlights the urgent need for further mapping, monitoring, and conservation efforts.
doi.org/10.1007/s125...
🧽 #SponBIODIV ( #BiodivProtect) finds sponge reproduction may be influenced by microbiomes. Early oocyte development in some species aligns with microbial shifts linked to nutrition and immunity.
doi.org/10.1128/mbio...
❄️ Alpine glaciers are retreating, impacting plant biodiversity and ecosystem services. #PrioritIce ( #BiodivProtect) shows this causes up to a 7x decrease in plant contributions to air quality, soil health, and nutrient regulation.
doi.org/10.1002/pei3...
🧬 Introducing ParAquaSeq! @funaction.bsky.social ( #BiodivProtect) and @mostfun.bsky.social ( #BiodivMon) curate a database of ribosomal sequences for zoosporic parasites impacting aquatic plants & algae, supporting research on ecology & sustainable algae production.
doi.org/10.1111/1755...
🐦 Designing critical habitat for threatened species is complex, but spatial tools can help. Using Marxan, #Prioritice ( #BiodivProtect) mapped habitat for Spain’s endangered little bustard, testing scenarios with habitat, connectivity, and cost criteria.
doi.org/10.1111/cobi...
🌊 Spanish Mediterranean MPAs: only 7% highly protected. Partial protection varies, with inconsistent fishing gear rules. Better regulation needed for effective conservation. With #MOVE ( #BiodivProtect) and #METRODIVER ( #BiodivHealth)
doi.org/10.1016/j.ma...
💧 Groundwater is vital for people, food, and ecosystems, but irrigation can threaten it through habitat loss and contamination. #DarCo ( #BiodivProtect) & #SubBioMon ( #BiodivMon) call for sustainable practices, precision tech, and stronger biomonitoring.
doi.org/10.1093/bios...
❄️ "Glacier fleas", ice-dwelling springtails, show surprising diversity. #Prioritice ( #BiodivProtect) found 5 new species in the Alps & Apennines, with some widespread and others narrowly endemic, raising conservation concerns due to warming.
doi.org/10.1155/jzs/...
🦠 @funaction.bsky.social ( #BiodivProtect) identified two new fungal species causing leaf necrosis in mango & guava in southern Iran. Environmental monitoring and precise identification are crucial for effective disease management.
doi.org/10.3897/myco...
🐟 #MUrFor ( #BiodivProtect) shows varied recovery potentials for North Sea cod: Southern stock depleted, Northeastern recovering, Northwestern thriving. Fishing & warming are key factors. Spatial insights crucial for better fisheries management!
🌋 Volcanic aquifers: hidden biodiversity! #DarCo ( #BiodivProtect) shows how geochemistry & microbes shape unique crustacean communities in Italian aquifers. Hydrogeological contexts within aquifers must be taken into account.
🧬 eDNA for conservation! #INSPIRE ( #BiodivProtect) shows combining eDNA & traditional surveys enhances biodiversity data and conservation planning. Mixed data minimise errors and provide more effective solutions.
🦇 Caves have long captivated human imagination. #DarCo ( #BiodivProtect) explores the power of collaboration between art and science to boost subterranean ecosystem conservation.
🏙️ Urban biodiversity: #RECONNECT ( #BiodivProtect) shows how civil servants’ actions are shaped by relationships and resource gaps. ‘Serendipity of agency’ calls for tackling context-specific challenges.
🐟 Can't tell your fish apart? #RecoSal ( #BiodivProtect) integrates data and expertise to improve salmonid count model and enhance sonar accuracy for Teno River management.
🦠 Healthy rivers rely on groundwater exchanges! #DarCo ( #BiodivProtect) presents Schellencandona rhodanensis sp. n., a new ostracod species from the Rhône watershed, key to mapping up/downwellings & understanding these ecosystems.
🌊 EU MPAs: Regulations are patchy! #MOVE ( #BiodivProtect) and #METRODIVER ( #BiodivHealth) show major data gaps, with most activities regulated in <40% of MPA area. We need better data & coordination for effective marine protection.
🌱 Natura 2000 works. #GaP ( #BiodivProtect) finds SACs in Spain have better land conditions, but regional differences show we must manage outside protected zones for lasting conservation.
🌿 Chara canescens is declining since 2010. #ProPartS ( #BiodivProtect) finds most populations in Spain's brackish waterbodies. Rare sexual populations are crucial for genetic diversity, highlighting the need for conservation.
🦠 Cave copepods aren't always slow. @biodiv_DarCo ( #BiodivProtect) & #SubBioMon ( #BiodivMon) compare two Diacyclops species. One species shows high metabolism, and both show thermal stability, suggesting adaptability to moderate temperature increases.
🏜️ Can run-off fight aridification? #BIOJUST ( #BiodivProtect) shows it can boost dryland vegetation, but only up to a point. This effect is limited by vegetation's capacity to retain run-off and is influenced by climate and human disturbance.
🌿 Plastic pollution in rivers is a major problem. #RIPARIANET ( #BiodivProtect) shows vegetation traps plastics, with denser plant communities trapping more. A new 3D vegetation index (3DVI) could help identify plastic hotspots and improve cleanup.
🐺 The return of wolves to Europe is a conservation success but pressures livestock systems. #TRANSWILD ( #BiodivProtect) advocates for co-designed, evidence-based solutions involving all stakeholders to balance conservation & farming needs.
🐺 Coexisting with large carnivores is challenging. Despite their ecological benefits, conflicts often lead to calls for reducing their numbers. #TRANSWILD ( #BiodivProtect) delves into the Volterra principle and its implications for managing predators.
🪲 #DarCo ( #BiodivProtect) studied copepods in Italian caves, finding high diversity shaped by geographic distance and climate (especially temperature), linking regional climate to subterranean biodiversity.
🐺 #WOLFNESS ( #BiodivProtect) found minimal recent dog DNA in Iberian wolves, but identified ancient dog genes linked to immunity & brain function, potentially explaining unique behaviours.
🦈 Do different labs get the same #eDNA results? @ewhale-dna.bsky.social ( #BiodivProtect) found differences in detection success, with sharks less often detected. This highlights the need for standardized protocols for reliable biodiversity assessments.
🐟 Understanding #MarineProtectedAreas effectiveness is key for the #30x30 target. #MOVE ( #BiodivProtect) evaluated 59 MPAs in California: boost in fished species biomass, but less in species richness/diversity. Which MPA features drive performance?
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2023 was a big year for @FUNACTION_EU 🇸🇪!
Sites in protected and non-protected areas of the Norrström and Luleälven watersheds are being studied for biodiversity and protection of #AquaticFungi.
Stay tuned for more in 2024!
#BiodivProtect
Just arrived in rainy Prague for the #BiodivProtect kickoff with @BiodiversaPlus to introduce @FUNACTION_EU to the EU #conservation community!
Putting #AquaticFungi on the conservation agenda!
