“If they are cleaned properly, oil tankers have a very big surface for things to attach to underwater and they will have a long lifespan,” says Dalia Conde, director of science at Species360, an international conservation research organisation, who recently created a global database of ships that have been deliberately wrecked to create artificial reefs. “There is the potential to attract a lot of fish, molluscs, different seaweeds.”

Learn more about the role that Species360 aquarium members can fulfill in assessing and improving the impact of artificial reefs on biodiversity.

Cleaning up an oil tanker is an expensive business, though – it can cost several million dollars to mop up all the toxic mess that accumulates in these vessels. But since 1985, 39 tankers of various sorts have been sunk off the coast of the US and one off the coast of Malta. Unfortunately, little work has been done to monitor the impact these vessels have had on the ocean environments where they were sunk.

Anecdotal reports from divers who have visited some of these tankers, however, suggests they host a rich diversity of life including lobsters, shellfish, barracuda and sharks. The wreck of the supertanker MT Haven, which sank off the coast of Genoa, Italy after an explosion on board in 1991 has also become a popular diver site. Although 40,000 tons of oil poured into the sea in the accident, it has since become home to a wide array of marine animals.

“It is surprising that so many of these ships have been deliberately sunk to provide habitats for fish,” says Conde. “But we need to start monitoring these sites properly. With the crisis we are facing in our oceans and climate, it would be good if there was a way of using ships like oil tankers to do some good.”

Read the full article at BBC futurenow.

This BBC news article is based on the research article led by Species360 Director of Science, Prof. Dalia Conde : A global database of intentionally deployed wrecks to serve as artificial reefs  published in the journal Data in Brief in 2019. The  project is part of our student’s Iglika Ilieva Master thesis completed in collaboration with Benjamin D. Best, Ph.D., Environmental Data Scientist and Founder, EcoQuants, Species360 Conservation Science Alliance member Rita da Silva and co-authors. The data published in this study is available on our Open Data Portal.

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Until recently, predicting species extinctions required a lot of guesswork. A paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reveals that critical information, such as fertility and survival rates, has been missing or unavailable for more than 98 percent of known species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

This gap has far-reaching implications for conservationists seeking to blunt the impact of mass extinctions. IUCN Species Survival Commission scientists, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), TRAFFIC, Monitor, and others tasked with saving thousands of species require comprehensive data on which to make informed decisions.

“It seems inconceivable, yet experts central to sustaining biodiversity of life regularly encounter a disappointing lack of data. To compensate, scientists power through with best-guess assumptions,” said lead researcher and Species360 Conservation Science Alliance director Dalia A. Conde.

A multidisciplinary team led by Conde and researchers from the Interdisciplinary Center on Population Dynamics, Oxford, the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, the University of Southern Denmark, and Species360 Conservation Science Alliance, alongside more than 19 other academic institutions, believes we can substantially increase what we know by applying robust analytics to data long overlooked.

Predicting when species are at risk, and how best to bolster populations, requires knowing when females reproduce, how many infants or hatchlings will survive to adolescence, and how long adults live. To understand what data are currently available, and measure the void, the team developed a Species Knowledge Index (SKI) that classifies demographic information for 32,144 tetrapods, or species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

“The index provides significant information that, in conjunction with genetic data, allows estimations of events that affect population viability. Severe population declines, sometimes called genetic bottlenecks, influence the sustainability of populations, as we have found in studying endangered rhinos,” said Oliver Ryder, Ph.D., Director of Conservation Genetics, San Diego Zoo Global.

Using go-to global sources of information, the index registers comprehensive birth and death rates for just 1.3 % of these major classes of species. A map, which illustrates the demographic knowledge available for all tetrapod classes, shows that many remain largely blank.

That changes when Conservation Science Alliance researchers add a previously untapped source, the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS). By inviting ZIMS to the party, the Species Knowledge Index gains an eightfold increase for comprehensive life table data used to assess populations.

“Adding ZIMS was like turning on the lights in an otherwise very dim room,” said lead researcher and Conservation Science Alliance director Dalia A. Conde. “Class by class, from mammals through amphibians, we saw large blank spaces fill with points representing usable data.”

ZIMS is curated by wildlife professionals working within zoos, aquariums, refuge, research, and education centers in 97 countries. It is maintained by Species360, a non-profit member-driven organization that facilitates information sharing among its nearly 1,200 institutional members, and is the world’s largest set of wildlife data.

The study, “Data gaps and opportunities for comparative and conservation biology,” suggests a value far beyond the data itself. As Conservation Science Alliance and other researchers apply analytics to data aggregated across global sources, including ZIMS, they glean insights that impact outcomes for species in danger of extinction. Moreover, this can provide key insights for comparative and evolutionary biology, such as understanding the evolution of aging.

Demographic Species Knowledge Index

A multidisciplinary team of 33 scientist including data analysts, biologists, and population dynamics researchers developed the Species Knowledge Index to map just how much we know about species worldwide. The first, the Demographic Species Knowledge Index, aggregates, analyzes and maps data from 22 databases and the IUCN Red List Red List of Threatened species.

About the Study

The paper published in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences is led by Dalia A. Conde, Director of the Species360 Conservation Science Alliance, member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Conservation Planning Specialist Group.

OPEN DATA Research: This study, published April 15, 2019, in journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” was conducted with support of Conservation Science Alliance founding partners the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums(WAZA), Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), and Copenhagen Zoo.  The research is part of a shared commitment to answer the need for better insight to wildlife, by making breakthrough analysis of wildlife available to the global scientific community. Researchers from Interdisciplinary Center on Population Dynamics, Oxford, the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, the University of Southern Denmark, and Species360 Conservation Science Alliance, with participants from 19 institutions, conducted the research by analyzing data aggregated across global sources including IUCN Red List, ZIMS, and more. Download the paper at PNAS. Hear the impact of this research for species conservation experts (Video). Download the OPEN DATA results here.

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“Mapping an index of available data on species is an ambitious undertaking. Species data, even basic measures such as average litter size and lifespan, can be very elusive. Aggregating the right global sources required the help of many experts working across thousands of species types,” said Species360 Director of Science Dr. Dalia A. Conde and member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Conservation Planning Specialist Group.

A multidisciplinary team of 33 scientists tackled the challenge. The effort, led by Conde, required expertise of data analysts, biologists, and population dynamics researchers. The team responsible for the full achievement is listed in full below, including their roles and affiliated organizations.

Indexing 22 Data Sources Worldwide
To develop the Species Knowledge Index, the researchers chose 22 databases from among global sources, including the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN data is the result of hundreds of scientists working worldwide to study individuals, groups, and populations of species — often collecting field data on their own time, as volunteers.

When they added the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), researchers discovered an 800 percent increase in data across species. Managed by global nonprofit Species360, ZIMS is curated by wildlife experts and researchers at nearly 1,200 zoological institutional in 97 countries.

Response to the study reflects a growing appetite for knowledge about the species sharing our planet. The study’s attention score rates in the top 5% of all research outputs in 2019 according to Altmetric.

Media coverage has also fueled greater awareness among readers around the world, including more than 30 articles in nine different languages. Oceanografic de Valencia, Johannesburg Zoological Gardens, and others are featured for their role in contributing critical data to the Species Knowledge Index.

For more information on how Species360 member institutions can share their role in curating species data, please contact us at Support@Species360.org.

Contributing Researchers: Demographic Species Knowledge Index
These are the researchers that were instrumental to creating the first-ever Demographic Species Knowledge Index, and their affiliations at time of publication:
Dalia A. Conde, abc1
Johanna Staerk, abcd
Fernando Colchero, be
Rita da Silva, abc
Jonas Schöley, b
H. Maria Baden, bc
Lionel Jouvet, bc
John E. Fa, f
Hassan Syed, g
Eelke Jongejans, h
Shai Meiri, i
Jean-Michel Gaillard, j
Scott Chamberlain, k
Jonathan Wilcken, l
Owen R. Jones, bc
Johan P. Dahlgren, bc
Ulrich K. Steiner, bc
Lucie M. Bland, m
Ivan Gomez-Mestre, n
Jean-Dominique Lebreton, o
Jaime González Vargas, p
Nate Flesness, a
Vladimir Canudas-Romo, q
Roberto Salguero-Gómez, r
Onnie Byers, s
Thomas Bjørneboe Berg, t
Alexander Scheuerlein, d
Sébastien Devillard, i
Dmitry S. Schigel, u
Oliver A. Ryder, v
Hugh P. Possingham, w
Annette Baudisch, b
James W. Vaupel, bdxl

a Species360 Conservation Science Alliance
b Interdisciplinary Center on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
c Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
d Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Germany
e Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark;
f Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
g Bir Ventures, Bloomington, US,
h Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University, The
Netherlands;
i Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Israel
j Département de Génie Biologique, University of Lyon, France
k rOpenSci, University of California, Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, USA
l Auckland Zoo, Auckland, New Zealand;
m School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia;
n Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Sevilla, Spain;
o CNRS, Centre d’écologie fonctionnelle et évolutive, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
p Abiztar Learning Technologies, SC, Tlalpan, Mexico City, Mexico
q School of Demography, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University,
Canberra, Australia
r Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
s Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, Internation Union for Conservation of Nature, Minneapolis, USA
t Naturama, Svendborg, Denmark
u Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Copenhagen, Denmark
v San Diego Zoo Global Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, USA
w Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
x Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, USA.

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Endangered Species Day – May 17, 2019 – Accurately predicting whether, and when, a species may go extinct has never been more critical. The United Nations recently reported that one million species are now in danger of disappearing, and conservationists are scrambling to mitigate the losses.

Doing so requires insight to existing populations and how quickly they can establish a next generation. This is different for every species and dramatically impacts how quickly a species can respond to changes in their environment, say researchers at Species360 Conservation Science Alliance, the Interdisciplinary Center of Population Dynamics (CPop), and other institutions.

Yet some of the tools used to assess a species generation time rely on assumptions that underestimate a population’s ability to establish each new generation and thus, its ability to adapt and survive.

A new study in Journal of Applied Ecology shows that some of these models draw an overly optimistic view of species extinction timelines. The study, “Performance of generation time approximations for extinction risk assessments,” analyzes current models of species generation time, and proposes ways to help improve risk assessments.

“We are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, and we must continually provide conservation scientists with better tools with which to save species and sustain biodiversity. Some of the current methods of assessing risk can benefit by incorporating our assessments of generation time, and we hope this will help to support the efforts of scientists now working to inform critical resources such as IUCN Red List of Endangered Species,” said Johanna Staerk, Research Fellow at Species360 Conservation Science Alliance and Postdoc at the Interdisciplinary Center of Population Dynamics at the University of Southern Denmark.

The models more closely reflect reality by assessing long-used assumptions and proposing analytics that better reflect the impact of survival, and reproduction on how scientists calculate generation times. It is here that employing new models can vastly improve how we assess whether a population will remain viable in the years ahead, researchers say.

Assumptions in generation time overestimate a species survival

Generation time, which measures the amount of time it takes a generation to renew itself, dramatically impacts how quickly a species can respond to environmental changes, and varies greatly between species. For example, the generation time of a mouse is only a few months, whereas the African elephant has a generation time of approximately 22 years. The longer the generation time the slower a species can adapt to climate changes and may therefore be more likely go extinct.

It is precisely the calculation of generation time that the authors assessed and they found that models lacking full age-specific survival and reproduction data can lead to significant errors in the calculation of generation time.

Using data from 58 mammalian populations compiled by collaborators from the University of Lyon as well as data from computer simulations, the authors propose to use more accurate information and include population growth rates into the calculation of generation time that may significantly reduce errors regarding a species’ generation time.

Researchers tested the influence of these errors on risk assessments, and found that the assumptions may give an overly optimistic assessment of species extinction timelines. Often a species generation time is underestimated which can lead us to believe that the species is less endangered than it really is.

The study also presents a method that more accurately predicts generation time when data is scarce, which predicts generation time from the species body mass, and reproductive lifespan – data that is usually more readily available for many species.

Calculations can lead to improved Red List assessments of endangered animals

But even with the best tools available, the challenge of accurately assessing extinction risk begins with a lack of data on endangered species. Earlier this month, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published research introducing a Species Knowledge Index and found that for 98% of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians we do not have the sort of population data to accurately calculate a species survival, reproduction, and generation time. However, it shows that by using data from zoos and aquariums could provide with an eightfold increase in data for these groups.

The research led by Species360 Conservation Science Alliance director Dalia A. Conde and the Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics, maps increases in global wildlife data curated through the vision and collaboration of leading aquariums and zoos using a common Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS).

The combination of more comprehensive wildlife data and improved analytics vastly improves how well we can anticipate population dynamics for thousands of species, scientists believe. Next, the researchers plan to explore how to fill knowledge gaps by using the Species360 data shared by nearly 1,200 zoos, aquariums, rescue centers and sanctuaries. For that they will conduct additional analysis using species data curated and standardized across 21,000 species. The information dates back to the 1800’s for some species, and includes survival and fertility information managed by the ZIMS unified digital infrastructure.

Led by Species360 Conservation Science Alliance, the goal is to assess the accuracy of generation time estimates when using data of species under human care. The authors expect that, for many species, data on survival and fertility from captive populations will be a better predictor of generation time, than by using data from other closely related species, as is currently done when there is no data available.

For more information on the generation time research, the Species Knowledge Index, and other species conservation insights, visit Species360 Conservation Science Alliance. Be sure to read The Conversation feature on this study, and access Open Data Research from Species360 Conservation Science Alliance here.

About Species360

Species360, a non-profit NGO and global leader in wildlife care and conservation, mobilizes a network of more than 1,100 aquarium, zoo, university, research and governmental members on six continents on 96 countries to improve animal welfare and species conservation. Our members address today’s most urgent wildlife issues, including establishing best practices in husbandry, enrichment, medical care, welfare, reproduction, population management, and biodiversity.

Together, Species360 members curate the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), the world’s most comprehensive open database of knowledge on more than 22,000 species. ZIMS vastly increases what is known about thousands of species, and is instrumental in identifying sustainability strategies for many of the species assessed as vulnerable, endangered, and extinct in the wild.

Species360 Conservation Science Alliance

The Species360 Conservation Science Alliance is a research initiative that provides conservationists with evidence-based findings by applying analytical models to the full scope of global wildlife data, including the IUCN Red List, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), TRAFFIC, Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE), the Alliance of Zero Extinction (AZE), ZIMS, and more. Research led in collaboration with IUCN Species Survival Commission, CITES, and others, drives insightful decisions on many levels, from enforcing illegal wildlife trade laws to calculating viability of insurance populations.

Media Contact: Mary Ellen Amodeo / Mary.Ellen@Species360.org

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“This study shows the value in different sets of data combining to highlight where the greatest needs and opportunities lie for us to work together.” – Dr. Kira Mileham, Strategic Partnership Director for the IUCN Species Survival Commission

 

Looking collectively at 3,370 fish and coral species in 594 aquariums and zoos worldwide, Species360 Conservation Science Alliance and IUCN Species Survival Commission researchers find a full 14 percent of all known fish species can be found within aquarium collections.

“Aquarium populations offer an enormous representation of diversity that makes them uniquely equipped to help develop conservation strategies,” said Dr. Dalia Conde, research author and Director of the Species360 Conservation Science Alliance, and Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark.

For species at risk in natural habitats, aquariums can be a lifeline for conservationists who may feel they are fighting a losing battle. “Facing issues of such magnitude as changing climate, ocean acidification and over-fishing requires the conservation community to work together to strategically decide which efforts we must focus on and how to best save species. Experts within the zoo and aquarium community have vital roles to play in the success of these conservation efforts. This study shows the value in different sets of data combining to highlight where the greatest needs and opportunities lie for us to work together,” said Dr. Mileham, Strategic Partnership Director for the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

The role of coral populations is foundational. Coral ecosystems determine marine biodiversity well beyond their immediate reach; 25 percent of marine species can be linked back to reef systems.

“The dramatic declines in coral reefs globally are of grave concern. As the world grapples with how best to respond, the vital conservation roles of aquariums and zoos become increasingly clear. Building and maintaining such biodiversity ‘safe-houses’ provides a backup plan against increasingly extreme and unexpected events, as well as against the declines that growing threats like climate change and habitat loss bring. They also bring us fascinating glimpses into creatures’ lives which we might never have in the wild,” said Professor Wendy Foden, South African National Parks and Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Climate Change Specialist Group(IUCN SSC).

Since 2014, a fast-moving disease has killed vast populations of coral in the Florida Reef Tract, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the consequences of the loss are economic as well as environmental. Marine activities linked to its coral reefs generate $2.36 billion in sales and income annually. Efforts to rebuild reefs can further benefit from the collaboration of more aquatic institutions worldwide. The Florida Aquarium and MOTE Marine Laboratory are among those leading discovery, breeding, and re-introduction programs central to recovery efforts.

“The fate of the Florida Reef Tract is thoroughly dependent on our ability to remove healthy coral, and genetic material from the wild and preserve it by serving as an ark, as well as increasing populations and genetic diversity through land-based breeding programs,” said President and CEO of the Florida Aquarium Roger Germann. “We have been at the forefront of this effort and in early April will plant more than 3,000 new coral fragments raised from larvae into the Florida Reef Tract to contribute to this critical restoration initiative. Aquariums have seen the writing on the wall and are taking action now.”

“From this study, we were able to identify that more than half of the coral species dying off the coast of Florida are in aquariums. These populations can provide critical knowledge and hope for re-introductions when the threats are controlled,” said research author Rita da Silva, research fellow ofthe Species360 Conservation Science Alliance and PhD student at the University of Southern Denmark.

OPEN DATA Research: This study conducted with help of partners the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), and Copenhagen Zoo, and is part of a shared commitment to make research data and analysis available to the global scientific community. Researchers from Species360 Conservation Science Alliance, IUCN Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC), the Interdisciplinary Center for Population Dynamics at the University of Southern Denmark, University of Stellenbosch, and the Zoological Society of London, conducted the research by analyzing data aggregated across global sources VCC, EDGE, AZE, CITES, IUCN Red List, and ZIMS. Download the open access paper PDF here. Download the OPEN DATA for the study here.

Bleaching marks half of Great Barrier Reef coral

In the last three years, half of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has been bleached. Scientists hope that colonies exhibiting resilience in the wild may rebound, and that extant populations may help to sustain the diversity and traits that will encourage survival given the high temperatures as climate change persists.

Of equal importance, say the study authors, are the 106 species of Anthozoa (corals and anemones) and the 1,249 species of fish for which their extinction risk has not yet been assessed by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species^TM. Information held by aquariums can help support both the development of Red List assessments and conservation actions, especially because among these species, scientists fear, are vast populations facing unanticipated crisis.

“Because aquariums in the study share real-time data about species in their care, it is possible to identify whether there are back-up populations to aid conservation. When species are in crisis, such as those affected by the disease outbreak in Florida’s coral reef, having access to current, accurate information is critical to global efforts,” said Dr. Conde.

Of particular interest, adds Dr. Conde, is supporting the decision-making processes of aquariums and research centers by identifying vulnerable species that remain unrepresented in ex situ populations.

“Aquariums and research centers vastly improve what we know about marine life when they share discoveries regarding the unique populations in their care. As they expand their work with threatened species, the collective insight of aquatics professionals becomes increasingly more important to global conservation,” said Meredith Knott, Product Owner, Aquatics and Husbandry at Species360, and Member of the IUCN-SSC Otter Specialist Group.

Nearly 1,200 aquarium, zoo, and wildlife centers in 96 countries are Species360 members. Together, these institutions curate the world’s largest set of ex-situ species data using the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS).

About the Study

The paper has been published in the Journal of Nature Conservation and was led by Dalia A. Conde, Director of the Species360 Conservation Science Alliance and Rita da Silva, Research Fellow of Species360 Conservation Science Alliance and PhD Student from the Department of Biology and the Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics (CPop) at the University of Southern Denmark. Authors include: Wendy Foden, Global Change Biology Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, South African National Parks, and Chair of the IUCN-SSC Climate Change Specialist Group; Paul Pearce-Kelly, Senior Curator of Ectotherms, Zoological Society of London, and Member of IUCN-SSC Climate Change and Conservation Planning Specialist Group; Meredith Knott, Product Owner, Aquatics and Husbandry at Species360, and Member of the IUCN-SSC Otter Specialist Group; and Brian Zimmerman, Chief Curator at Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

Data from the study is available at Species360 Conservation Science Alliance Open Data, and the original paper is open access and can be downloaded here.

Media Contact: Mary Ellen Amodeo / Mary.Ellen@Species360.org

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As we scramble to assess the extinction crisis, researchers show the risk of making assumptions based on insufficient data.

More than a million species are at risk of extinction according to a new report on biodiversity. But even some species that aren’t considered endangered may be less safe than people think. A new study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology found that some methods for measuring a species’ generation time might underestimate the likelihood that some species will die out.

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The Zoo is part of a group of approximately 1,200 zoos and aquariums that curate species information using the  Zoological Information Management Software  (ZIMS). This vast international computerized system allows each institution to record information about their individuals and to consult those of others. Records of more than 10 million animals from all over the world are listed.

Read the transcript of the full Radio-Canada story here.

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