► First assessment of extinction probability of all seagrass species worldwide. ► Extinction assessments of seagrass based on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species criteria. ► Ten of seventy-two ...species of seagrass at elevated risk of extinction and three species endangered. ► Human impacts in the coastal zone are responsible for most threats to seagrass species. ► Seagrass biodiversity contributes to survival of many imperiled marine species and to ocean health.
Seagrasses, a functional group of marine flowering plants rooted in the world’s coastal oceans, support marine food webs and provide essential habitat for many coastal species, playing a critical role in the equilibrium of coastal ecosystems and human livelihoods. For the first time, the probability of extinction is determined for the world’s seagrass species under the Categories and Criteria of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Several studies have indicated that seagrass habitat is declining worldwide. Our focus is to determine the risk of extinction for individual seagrass species, a 4-year process involving seagrass experts internationally, compilation of data on species’ status, populations, and distribution, and review of the biology and ecology of each of the world’s seagrass species. Ten seagrass species are at elevated risk of extinction (14% of all seagrass species), with three species qualifying as Endangered. Seagrass species loss and degradation of seagrass biodiversity will have serious repercussions for marine biodiversity and the human populations that depend upon the resources and ecosystem services that seagrasses provide.
The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Progress on National Biodiversity Indicator Reporting and Prospects for Filling Indicator Gaps in Southeast Asia ” ...(Han et al., 2020). We examined quantifiable information about biodiversity indicators from the most recent two national reports (i.e., 4th in 2010 and 5th in 2015) to the United Nation's Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by the 10-member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This article presents the number of indicators, their level of development, and detailed lists of indicators for each country, and demonstrates general improvement in indicator use by the highest level of government reporting about implementation of the CBD at the national scale.
With tremendous biodiversity but increasing threats, Southeast Asia faces challenges in meeting its commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 2020 Aichi Targets. The use of indicators ...to monitor, evaluate and guide conservation progress is increasingly urgent. We quantified indicator use by 10 Southeast Asian governments in the 4th and 5th national reports submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2010 and 2015. We found indicator use variable among nations but increasing. Use of quantitative trend indicators doubled from an average of 6–12. There was no change in the number of non-quantitative (mean of 2) or quantitative baseline indicators (those measured once; mean of 9). Indicators most frequently addressed habitat condition and extent, species diversity, protected areas, and agriculture (means of 2–6 indicators each). They were rarely used (mean < 1) to indicate trends in wildlife exploitation, information sharing, climate change, and invasive species. Species diversity indicators increased from the 4th to 5th reports, and there were marginal increases in indicators used for aquatic ecosystems. The results highlight a slow but noticeable increase in the use and quality of indicators in national biodiversity reporting in the region. However, for the region to accelerate progress towards agreed-upon targets of multilateral environmental agreements, a more relevant and diverse set of indicators will need to be employed. Paths to doing so include the use of disaggregated global indicators, increased regional coordination to improve the efficiency and quality of indicator generation, and increased efforts at growing national-level monitoring capacity.
•Southeast Asian nations increased biodiversity indicator reporting from 2010 to 2015.•Use of trend indicators doubled in 5th compared to 4th national reports to CBD.•Indicators informed half of 10 specified themes, with quantity of indicators increasing.•Greater indicator use needed as progress toward many targets remains unmeasured.
Coral reef fisheries support tens of millions of people, mostly in developing countries. Fishing on reefs can be classified into three stages: manageable, ecosystem-overfished, and ...Malthusian-overfished. Fishing with blasting devices and poisons is often associated with the third stage. Reductions in herbivory caused by overfishing may enhance the likelihood of organic pollution causing a coral–algal phase shift following major disturbances. However, cage studies indicate that reduction in herbivory can lead to the proliferation of algae even in the absence of eutrophication. A major concern with the widespread coral bleaching associated with the 1997–1998 El Niño event is the likelihood that reefs already stressed by overfishing and organic pollution may not return to coral dominance after severe bleaching. Clues to levels of fishing and to the potential to recover from disturbances include changes in the de-vegetated “haloes” around coral stands on reef flats and the differing spectral signatures of live coral, recently dead coral, and coral covered with red encrusting, green filamentous, or brown frondose algae. These clues may facilitate broad area assessments of shallow reef areas via aircraft, space shuttles, or satellites.
To characterise the inotropic response of isolated myocytes to a range of structurally unrelated NO donors and to assess the role of NO release kinetics, NO species and cyclic nucleotides in ...mediating the observed changes.
Guinea-pig (GP) and human myocytes were prepared by enzymatic digestion. Paced contractile amplitude was recorded at 37 degrees C. NO release was measured by reduction of oxyhaemoglobin and using an NO electrode. Cyclic nucleotides were measured using a tritium labelled competitive binding assay.
The NO donors S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and diethylamine/NO (DEA/NO) produced positive inotropic effects in GP myocytes at (10(-5) M) (25 and 111% increases of contraction amplitude). The response to GSNO was significantly enhanced in the presence of a low concentration of isoprenaline (3x10(-10) M). Positive inotropy was observed with a range of both thiol and non-thiol donors, amongst which a fast rate of NO release was associated with positive inotropy. The response to GSNO was abolished by the free NO scavenger oxyhaemoglobin, but not by ODQ (soluble guanylyl cyclase sGC inhibitor), Rp-cAMPS (protein kinase A inhibitor) or thapsigargin (sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) uptake blocker). Direct measurement of cyclic nucleotides showed a rise in cGMP but not cAMP. Human ventricular myocytes showed a significant increase of contraction with GSNO (48+/-15.8%, n=7, P<0. 05) in the presence of isoprenaline and a marked response to DEA/NO alone.
Isolated GP and human myocytes show a positive inotropic effect with certain NO donors. This is independent of sGC and cAMP. The rate of NO release from donors appears important in mediating the effect.
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•Monitoring biodiversity and ecosystem services has far reaching societal relevance.•A user-driven monitoring framework is needed to address the biodiversity crisis.•GEO BON core ...components are the development of the EBVs and BONs.•EBVs provide an integrative framework to monitor multiple components of biodiversity.•BONs improve the coordination and harmonization of observation systems across scales.
The ability to monitor changes in biodiversity, and their societal impact, is critical to conserving species and managing ecosystems. While emerging technologies increase the breadth and reach of data acquisition, monitoring efforts are still spatially and temporally fragmented, and taxonomically biased. Appropriate long-term information remains therefore limited. The Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) aims to provide a general framework for biodiversity monitoring to support decision-makers. Here, we discuss the coordinated observing system adopted by GEO BON, and review challenges and advances in its implementation, focusing on two interconnected core components—the Essential Biodiversity Variables as a standard framework for biodiversity monitoring, and the Biodiversity Observation Networks that support harmonized observation systems—while highlighting their societal relevance.
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