Ph.D. Asst. Prof. Michelle VanCompernolle and Assoc. Prof. Ana Sequeira, both from UWA, recently published an extensive analysis. Their research has identified major threats to marine life and provides critical information for international conservation agreements. The research assessed the vulnerability of 256 marine megafauna species, including whales, sharks, bony fish, turtles, seabirds, polar bears, seals, and sirenians such as dugongs and manatees. This groundbreaking study was published in the journal Conservation Biology and involved contributions from over 300 researchers across 51 countries.
The study evaluated 23 threats stemming from human activities and categorized them into four main groups: climate change, coastal impacts, fishing, and maritime disturbances. The results indicate that over 75% of the species studied are under major threat. Notably, these species are very vulnerable to at least one of those threats. For turtles and sirenians, threats from each of the four categories are listed. At the same time, fishing-related causes have impacted sharks and rays the most.
Vulnerability Assessment of Marine Megafauna
This initial analysis from the study found truly shocking figures about how susceptible marine life is. Of the species evaluated, most were threatened with multiple threats that present significant risks to their continued existence. Of terrestrial taxonomic groups, turtles and sirenians were especially vulnerable. They experienced threats in each of the four types we found.
With this systematic approach, the researchers could spot which species are most at risk and why.
“We put the main threats into four categories, which included climate change, coastal impacts, fishing and maritime disturbances.”
The most urgent issue along the Pacific coast disclosed within the report is the effect of fishing threats on marine wildlife. Sharks and rays experienced the greatest impact from these threats. Associate Professor Ana Sequeira emphasized the severity of fishing gear threats on populations:
Fishing Threats and Population Declines
Each of these findings points to an immediate need for policy improvements. We need to adopt more proactive conservation strategies that lessen and prevent the risks from fishing activities.
“We found some threats such as fishing gear are high severity, which means they can cause steep population declines.”
The study highlighted the intricately connected nature of the multiple threats impacting marine megafauna. Commercial fishing introduces short-term threats to ocean animals. Threats such as climate change and plastic pollution are more insidious, having broader, more diffuse effects, affecting many different populations without necessarily resulting in immediate declines.
Broader Implications for Conservation Strategies
The study’s findings support the need for more strategic, targeted conservation approaches that tackle several threats at once. Sequeira stated:
Associate Professor Sequeira noted:
“Other threats, such as climate change and plastic pollution, have a large scope, meaning they can affect many populations of marine megafauna but may not always be directly associated with population declines.”
The study’s conclusions advocate for coordinated conservation strategies that address multiple threats simultaneously. Sequeira stated:
“Our findings highlighted the need for coordinated, multi-threat conservation strategies to reduce the risk of global extinction.”