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Lee JR, Terauds A, Carwardine J, Shaw JD, Fuller RA, Possingham HP, Chown SL, Convey P, Gilbert N, Hughes KA, McIvor E, Robinson SA, Ropert-Coudert Y, Bergstrom DM, Biersma EM, Christian C, Cowan DA, Frenot Y, Jenouvrier S, Kelley L, Lee MJ, Lynch HJ, Njåstad B, Quesada A, Roura RM, Shaw EA, Stanwell-Smith D, Tsujimoto M, Wall DH, Wilmotte A, Chadès I. Threat management priorities for conserving Antarctic biodiversity. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001921. [PMID: 36548240 PMCID: PMC9778584 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity faces multiple threats, from invasive species to climate change. Yet no large-scale assessments of threat management strategies exist. Applying a structured participatory approach, we demonstrate that existing conservation efforts are insufficient in a changing world, estimating that 65% (at best 37%, at worst 97%) of native terrestrial taxa and land-associated seabirds are likely to decline by 2100 under current trajectories. Emperor penguins are identified as the most vulnerable taxon, followed by other seabirds and dry soil nematodes. We find that implementing 10 key threat management strategies in parallel, at an estimated present-day equivalent annual cost of US$23 million, could benefit up to 84% of Antarctic taxa. Climate change is identified as the most pervasive threat to Antarctic biodiversity and influencing global policy to effectively limit climate change is the most beneficial conservation strategy. However, minimising impacts of human activities and improved planning and management of new infrastructure projects are cost-effective and will help to minimise regional threats. Simultaneous global and regional efforts are critical to secure Antarctic biodiversity for future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine R. Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- CSIRO, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Aleks Terauds
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | - Justine D. Shaw
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Richard A. Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hugh P. Possingham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Steven L. Chown
- Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter Convey
- British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Neil Gilbert
- Constantia Consulting, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Kevin A. Hughes
- British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ewan McIvor
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Sharon A. Robinson
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences and Global Challenges Program, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université − CNRS, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Dana M. Bergstrom
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences and Global Challenges Program, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Elisabeth M. Biersma
- British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claire Christian
- Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Don A. Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Yves Frenot
- University of Rennes 1, CNRS, EcoBio (Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution)—UMR 6553, Rennes, France
| | - Stéphanie Jenouvrier
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lisa Kelley
- International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | | | - Heather J. Lynch
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Antonio Quesada
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo M. Roura
- Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - E. Ashley Shaw
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Damon Stanwell-Smith
- International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Viking Expeditions, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Megumu Tsujimoto
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa Japan
- National Institute of Polar Research, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Diana H. Wall
- Department of Biology and School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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Kennicutt MC, Bromwich D, Liggett D, Njåstad B, Peck L, Rintoul SR, Ritz C, Siegert MJ, Aitken A, Brooks CM, Cassano J, Chaturvedi S, Chen D, Dodds K, Golledge NR, Le Bohec C, Leppe M, Murray A, Nath PC, Raphael MN, Rogan-Finnemore M, Schroeder DM, Talley L, Travouillon T, Vaughan DG, Wang L, Weatherwax AT, Yang H, Chown SL. Sustained Antarctic Research: A 21st Century Imperative. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2019.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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