Tuesday, June 10, 2014

New evidence links air pollution to autism, schizophrenia

 Date:
June 5, 2014 - SCIENCE DAILY 
Source:
University of Rochester Medical Center
Summary:
A new study describes how exposure to air pollution early in life produces harmful changes in the brains of mice, including an enlargement of part of the brain that is seen in humans who have autism and schizophrenia. The mice performed poorly in tests of short-term memory, learning ability, and impulsivity. Study authors say the findings are very suggestive that air pollution may play a role in autism, as well as in other neurodevelopmental disorders.

A new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectivesdescribes how exposure to air pollution early in life produces harmful changes in the brains of mice, including an enlargement of part of the brain that is seen in humans who have autism and schizophrenia.

As in autism and schizophrenia, the changes occurred predominately in males. The mice also performed poorly in tests of short-term memory, learning ability, and impulsivity.
The new findings are consistent with several recent studies that have shown a link between air pollution and autism in children. Most notably, a 2013 study in JAMA Psychiatry reported that children who lived in areas with high levels of traffic-related air pollution during their first year of life were three times as likely to develop autism. "Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that air pollution may play a role in autism, as well as in other neurodevelopmental disorders," said Deborah Cory-Slechta, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester and lead author of the study.
In three sets of experiments, Cory-Slechta and her colleagues exposed mice to levels of air pollution typically found in mid-sized U.S. cities during rush hour. The exposures were conducted during the first two weeks after birth, a critical time in the brain's development. The mice were exposed to polluted air for four hours each day for two four-day periods.
In one group of mice, the brains were examined 24 hours after the final pollution exposure. In all of those mice, inflammation was rampant throughout the brain, and the lateral ventricles -- chambers on each side of the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid -- were enlarged two-to-three times their normal size.
"When we looked closely at the ventricles, we could see that the white matter that normally surrounds them hadn't fully developed," said Cory-Slechta. "It appears that inflammation had damaged those brain cells and prevented that region of the brain from developing, and the ventricles simply expanded to fill the space."
The problems were also observed in a second group of mice 40 days after exposure and in another group 270 days after exposure, indicating that the damage to the brain was permanent. Brains of mice in all three groups also had elevated levels of glutamate, a neurotransmitter, which is also seen in humans with autism and schizophrenia.
Most air pollution is made up mainly of carbon particles that are produced when fuel is burned by power plants, factories, and cars. For decades, research on the health effects of air pollution has focused on the part of the body where its effects are most obvious -- the lungs. That research began to show that different-sized particles produce different effects. Larger particles -- the ones regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -- are actually the least harmful because they are coughed up and expelled. But many researchers believe that smaller particles known as ultrafine particles -- which are not regulated by the EPA -- are more dangerous, because they are small enough to travel deep into the lungs and be absorbed into the bloodstream, where they can produce toxic effects throughout the body.
That assumption led Cory-Slechta to design a set of experiments that would show whether ultrafine particles have a damaging effect on effect on the brain, and if so, to reveal the mechanism by which they inflict harm. Her study published today is the first scientific work to do both.
"I think these findings are going to raise new questions about whether the current regulatory standards for air quality are sufficient to protect our children," said Cory-Slechta.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by University of Rochester Medical Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
  1. Joshua L. Allen, Xiufang Liu, Sean Pelkowski, Brian Palmer, Katherine Conrad, Günter Oberdörster, Douglas Weston, Margot Mayer-Pröschel, Deborah A. Cory-Slechta. Early Postnatal Exposure to Ultrafine Particulate Matter Air Pollution: Persistent Ventriculomegaly, Neurochemical Disruption, and Glial Activation Preferentially in Male Mice. Environmental Health Perspectives, 2014; DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1307984
Cite This Page:
University of Rochester Medical Center. "New evidence links air pollution to autism, schizophrenia." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 June 2014. .


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Saving trees in tropics could cut emissions by one-fifth, study shows

Date:
June 6, 2014 - SCIENCE DAILY
Source:
University of Edinburgh
Summary:
Reducing deforestation in the tropics would significantly cut the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere -- by as much as one-fifth -- research shows. In the first study of its kind, scientists have calculated the amount of carbon absorbed by the world's tropical forests and the amounts of greenhouse gas emissions created by loss of trees, as a result of human activity.

In the first study of its kind, scientists have calculated the amount of carbon absorbed by the world's tropical forests and the amounts of greenhouse gas emissions created by loss of trees, as a result of human activity.
They found that tropical forests absorb almost two billion tonnes of carbon each year, equivalent to one-fifth of the world's carbon emissions, by storing it in their bark, leaves and soil. However, an equivalent amount is lost through logging, clearing of land for grazing, and growing biofuel crops such as palm oil, soya bean and sugar. Peat fires in forests add significantly to the greenhouse gas emissions.
Researchers estimate that if all human-related deforestation of the tropics were to stop, the forests could absorb more carbon than at present, equivalent to one-fifth of global emissions.
Researchers say carbon emissions from tropical forests will increase as the climate warms, as rising temperatures accelerate the decay of dead plants and trees, giving off more CO2. Global temperatures are forecast to rise by two degrees by the year 2099, which is predicted to increase annual carbon emissions from the forest by three-quarters of a billion tonnes.
Scientists from the Universities of Edinburgh and Leeds analysed data from multiple previous studies, including satellite studies, to determine the amount of carbon absorbed and emitted by the world's tropical forests in South and Central America, equatorial Africa and Asia.
Their study, published in Global Change Biology, was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council.
Professor John Grace of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, who led the study, said: "If we limit human activity in the tropical forests of the world, this could play a valuable role in helping to curb the rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Preventing further losses of carbon from our tropical forests must remain a high priority."
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by University of Edinburgh. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
  1. John Grace, Edward Mitchard, Emanuel Gloor. Perturbations in the carbon budget of the tropics. Global Change Biology, 2014; DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12600
Cite This Page:
University of Edinburgh. "Saving trees in tropics could cut emissions by one-fifth, study shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 June 2014. .
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Saturday, June 7, 2014

Close-up of coral bleaching event

Date:
June 3, 2014 - SCIENCE DAILY
Source:
University of Georgia
Summary:
Ecologists have shed light on exactly what happens to coral during periods of excessively high water temperatures. Their study documents a coral bleaching event in the Caribbean in minute detail and sheds light on how it changed a coral's community of algae -- a change that could have long-term consequences for coral health, as bleaching is predicted to occur more frequently in the future.

New research by University of Georgia ecologists sheds light on exactly what happens to coral during periods of excessively high water temperatures. Their study, published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography, documents a coral bleaching event in the Caribbean in minute detail and sheds light on how it changed a coral's community of algae—a change that could have long-term consequences for coral health, as bleaching is predicted to occur more frequently in the future.

Millions of people around the world depend on coral reefs and the services they provide. While coral reefs make up less than 0.1 percent of the sea floor, they serve as habitats for about 25 percent to 35 percent of all the oceans' fishes, roughly 500 million people worldwide rely on them as a source of protein and for coastal protection, and they are responsible for billions of dollars in tourism and fisheries revenue.
Corals, in turn, depend upon single-celled algae that inhabit them, providing most of their food and giving them their color. But many species of these algae are highly sensitive to temperature, and are unable to survive as ocean waters warm. The coral can expel these algae when the water temperature grows too high, a phenomenon known as coral bleaching.
Lead author Dustin Kemp, a postdoctoral associate in the UGA Odum School of Ecology, had the opportunity to study a bleaching event while conducting research at a reef off Puerto Morelos, Mexico. He and his colleagues had been working there since 2007, taking samples seasonally from six colonies of Orbicella faveolata, also known as mountainous star coral, and their associated symbiotic algae.
Orbicella is the major reef-building coral in most of the Caribbean, but although common, it has an unusual trait. While most species of coral associate with just one dominant type of symbiotic algae, O. faveolata is able to associate with up to four co-dominant types at once—some of which are heat-tolerant and some of which are not—making it a particularly interesting coral to study.
In October 2009, the researchers' sampling trip coincided with a period of unusually high temperatures, allowing them the rare opportunity to collect samples while a bleaching event was taking place.
"We were able to follow this coral at a very high precision and document how diverse assemblages of symbiotic algae are differently affected by the bleaching phenomenon," Kemp said. "This was probably the first study ever to look at it under natural conditions this closely."
Kemp took hundreds of samples approximately every 12 inches along established transects—a narrow section where measurements are taken—across all six coral colonies. He made sure to include samples from areas that appeared bleached as well as from those that still retained color. Because they had been collecting at the site for two years, and continued collecting after this event, the researchers were able to compare the communities of symbiotic algae before, during and after bleaching.
They observed that before the bleaching event, these particular corals contained three different types of algae, two of which were somewhat tolerant of the warm-water bleaching perturbation.
During the bleaching event, heat-sensitive algae were found to be much less prevalent while the heat-tolerant algae remained. Two months later, heat-tolerant algae had taken over the parts of the coral formerly occupied by the heat-sensitive algae.
"The corals didn't die after this bleaching event, they recovered—and that's good, that's important—but there could be potential tradeoffs associated with the shift to heat-tolerant algae," said Kemp, adding that, for example, some heat-tolerant algae may provide less food than those they might replace. "That question of tradeoffs is what we're working on now."
Kemp is currently conducting research at reefs in the Caribbean and Pacific, looking at how heat-tolerant algae affect corals in areas where corals have been documented to have stable, long-term associations with heat-tolerant algae.
"In the Caribbean, we've lost 80 percent of the corals just in my lifetime," Kemp said. "We know that increased ocean temperatures are one of the major threats to coral reefs worldwide. So understanding coral-algae dynamics, and how different algae can handle increased temperature, is important to see how the whole ecosystem will be affected by this environmental perturbation."
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by University of Georgia. The original article was written by Beth Gavrilles. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Cite This Page:
University of Georgia. "Close-up of coral bleaching event." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 June 2014. .

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Reporters using more 'hedging' words in climate change articles

Date:
June 4, 2014 - SCIENCE DAILY
Source:
University of Colorado at Boulder
Summary:
The amount of 'hedging' language -- words that suggest room for doubt -- used by prominent newspapers in articles about climate change has increased over time, according to a new study.

The amount of "hedging" language -- words that suggest room for doubt -- used by prominent newspapers in articles about climate change has increased over time, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Communication, also found that newspapers in the U.S. use more hedging language in climate stories than their counterparts in Spain.
"We were surprised to find newspapers increased their use of hedging language, since the scientific consensus that climate change is happening and that humans are contributing to it has substantially strengthened over time," said Adriana Bailey, a doctoral student at CU-Boulder's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, or CIRES, and lead author of the paper.
CIRES is a joint institute of CU-Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The researchers examined articles published in two U.S. papers, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and in two Spanish papers, El Mundo and El Pais. The articles used for the study were published in 2001 and 2007, years when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, released its latest assessments of the physical science basis for climate change.
The researchers combed the articles for words from all parts of speech that typically suggest uncertainty, such as almost, speculative, could, believe, consider, blurry, possible and projecting.
Once the words were identified, the scientists considered the context they were used in to determine if they should count as hedging language.
For example, the word "uncertainty" was counted in a New York Times article that read "…substantial uncertainty still clouds projections of important impacts…" but it was not counted in a sentence in the same newspaper that read ." ..uncertainty was removed as to whether humans had anything to do with climate change…"
Also, the researchers only counted hedging language that had to do with either the physical science basis for climate change -- such as changes in average temperatures and precipitation patterns -- or the IPCC process. Language related to possible adaptation and mitigation efforts, such as preparing coastal cities for expected sea level rise, was not included.
The results showed that in 2001, the U.S. papers used 189 hedging words or expressions per 10,000 words printed while the Spanish papers used 107. In 2007, the number of hedging words and expressions used per 10,000 words rose to 267 in the U.S. and to 136 in Spain.
Given that Spain has ratified the Kyoto Protocol -- the international agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions -- while the U.S. has not and that Spain has proposed a national climate policy, the research team was not surprised to find that Spanish newspapers seem to be communicating less uncertainty about climate change than U.S. papers.
But the team did not expect to see increases in hedging language in both countries over time. The study was not designed to determine the reasons for the increase, but Bailey said it could be related to a number of factors, from amplified politicization of climate change -- including polarization of climate stances by political leaders -- to the possibility that reporters are actually writing more about the detailed science, which requires greater explanation of the accompanying scientific uncertainties.
The researchers also noticed that the ways in which qualifications are introduced into climate change articles have evolved over time.
"One of the new ways uncertainty is being constructed is by comparing IPCC reports and climate studies against each other, and in that way, presenting results that seem disparate," said Bailey, who also is affiliated with CU-Boulder's Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. "The second new way is by comparing predictions to observations -- by describing climate changes that are happening faster than expected or that are smaller than anticipated, for example.
"Making sense of these 'surprises' is part of the scientific process; it's how we build new knowledge," she added "But news stories don't often provide readers with the background information necessary to understand this."
While this study analyzed news articles that appeared after the IPCC's third and fourth assessment reports, the researchers say the findings can help people better interpret media coverage of more recently released reports on climate change, including the IPCC's fifth assessment, which was published last year.
An awareness of how the media use hedging language to cover the changing climate can help media consumers distinguish remaining scientific questions from uncertainties constructed by the news, the researchers said.
Other CU-Boulder co-authors of the study are Maxwell Boykoff, an assistant professor at CIRES, and Lorine Giangola, STEM coordinator for the Graduate Teacher Program.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by University of Colorado at Boulder. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
  1. Adriana Bailey, Lorine Giangola, Maxwell T. Boykoff. How Grammatical Choice Shapes Media Representations of Climate (Un)certainty. Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture, 2014; 8 (2): 197 DOI:10.1080/17524032.2014.906481
Cite This Page:
University of Colorado at Boulder. "Reporters using more 'hedging' words in climate change articles." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 June 2014. .
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Environmental 'one-two punch' imperils Amazonian forests

Date:
June 4, 2014 -SCIENCE DAILY
Source:
James Cook University
Summary:
One of the world's longest-running ecological studies has revealed that Amazonian forests are being altered by multiple environmental threats -- creating even greater perils for the world's largest rainforest. But the biggest surprise is that nearby undisturbed forests, which were also being carefully studied, changed as well.

One of the world's longest-running ecological studies has revealed that Amazonian forests are being altered by multiple environmental threats -- creating even greater perils for the world's largest rainforest.

"It's like a boxer getting hit by a flurry of punches," says lead author William Laurance of James Cook University in Cairns, Australia.
For the past 35 years, a team of Brazilian and international researchers has studied how diverse communities of trees and vines respond when the Amazonian rainforest is fragmented by cattle ranching.
The fragmented forests, they found, change rapidly. "Lots of trees have died while vines, which favor disturbed forests, proliferate rapidly," said Jose Luis Camargo of Brazil's National Institute for Amazonian Research.
But the biggest surprise is that nearby undisturbed forests, which were also being carefully studied, changed as well. Trees there grew and died faster, and the vines also multiplied.
"These changes might be driven by increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," said Thomas Lovejoy of George Mason University in Virginia, USA, who initiated the long-term study. "Plants use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and when it increases, the forest evidently becomes more unstable and dynamic, as long as the soils have enough nutrients."
The investigators say a key implication is that many forests are being affected not only by land-use changes such as habitat fragmentation, but also by global-scale changes such as rising carbon dioxide and climate change. In some cases different drivers reinforce one another, increasing their impacts on forests.
"A big implication is that it's going to be harder to predict future changes to ecosystems if they're being affected by several environmental drivers," said Lovejoy.
The researchers expect such changes to increase in the future.
"Humans continue to dump billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year, and it's evidently affecting even the remotest forests on Earth," said Laurance.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by James Cook University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
  1. William F. Laurance, Ana S. Andrade, Ainhoa Magrach, José Camargo, Mason Campbell, Philip M. Fearnside, Will Edwards, Jefferson J. Valsko, Thomas E. Lovejoy, Susan G. Laurance. APPARENT ENVIRONMENTAL SYNERGISM DRIVES THE DYNAMICS OF AMAZONIAN FOREST FRAGMENTS. Ecology, 2014; 140528195020002 DOI: 10.1890/14-0330.1
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James Cook University. "Environmental 'one-two punch' imperils Amazonian forests." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 June 2014. .
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Report highlights successful efforts to stem deforestation in 17 countries

Date:
June 4, 2014 - SCIENCE DAILY
Source:
Union of Concerned Scientists
Summary:
Programs and policies to reduce tropical deforestation, and the global warming emissions resulting from deforestation, are seeing broad success in 17 countries across four continents, according to a new report.

Programs and policies to reduce tropical deforestation, and the global warming emissions resulting from deforestation, are seeing broad success in 17 countries across four continents, according to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
The report, "Deforestation Success Stories: Tropical Nations Where Forest Protection and Reforestation Policies Have Worked," highlights successes in reducing deforestation and restoring forests while supporting economic development in 17 cases across Africa, Latin America and South and Southeast Asia. While some countries highlighted in the report, including Brazil, are known for their forest efforts, other countries, including Mexico, El Salvador and the six countries of Central Africa, emerge as surprising innovators.
In the 1990s, deforestation consumed 16 million hectares of forest a year and accounted for about 17 percent of all climate emissions. By the early 2000s, deforestation was down 19 percent to 13 million hectares. Currently, deforestation is responsible for about 10 percent of climate emissions globally.
"Successfully reducing deforestation is essential as forests are home to a wide range of plants and animals, and vital to the livelihoods of indigenous communities. When forests are cleared -for palm oil plantations, agriculture or livestock -- we lose vital resources, put animals at risk of extinction, and release massive quantities of carbon dioxide stored in the trees and soils," said report author Doug Boucher, director of UCS's Tropical Forest and Climate Initiative. "What's surprising about today's report is the number of countries that are effectively protecting their tropical forests and the wide variety of policies and programs that are working. There's no one right way to stop deforestation, but rather a smorgasbord of options."
The successful reductions result from a variety of policy options, including policies and programs directly targeted at deforestation, policies not implemented as planned but that still worked, policy reforms that relieved pressure on forests and changes in larger socioeconomic context.
Brazil is home to the world's largest tropical forest, the Amazon. As early as 2002, the Brazilian government reduced deforestation by establishing forest protected areas, and later companies agreed to moratoriums on buying soy or beef raised on deforested land.
While these deforestation programs and policies proved effective, Brazil took additional action through the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation plus pro-forest activities (REDD+) program in cooperation with Norway. REDD+ offers financial incentives, provided by developed countries, to developing countries for reducing deforestation. Today, 80 percent of original Amazonian forest is still standing due to forest protections, moratoriums and the REDD+ program.
"Brazil is most notably lauded for their deforestation reductions, but the report found numerous example of successfully saving forests in unexpected locations," said Boucher. "And some of these surprising successes, like in Mexico and Central Africa, result from national programs and other economic policies that did not work as initially designed."
Mexico has been working to protect their forests from deforestation since the 1990s, but additional success came from the Payment for Environmental Services program, which aimed to transition payments for environmental services, such as clean water and carbon mitigation, into services paid for by markets. While economists recommended that the limited budget for this program be allocated among to the most efficient service providers, the money ultimately went to rural communities, which are historically prioritized in Mexico.
The program did not work as planned, but still prevented deforestation because participants invested in protecting forests even when not required to do so. Ninety-four percent of the program participants voluntarily spent significant portions of their allotments on forest management, proving that the program was successful overall.
Yet other countries still, like Guyana and Central Africa exemplify how economic development socioeconomic changes are relieving pressure on forests. Guyana's case is unusual in that its deforestation rate is nearly zero and forest policies are focused on preventing deforestation entirely. Like Brazil, Guyana formed a partnership with Norway through the REDD+ program. But Guyana's program focuses on promoting economic growth while still keeping deforestation low.
In Central Africa, forest management plans were adopted in the 1990s, and over time, these plans have grown to cover a large portion of the region's forests. In addition to these policies, the development of oil and mineral resources led to rapid urbanization, which drew people from the rural areas to pursue jobs in larger cities. Increasing imports of agricultural products minimized the competition for rural lands as well as the need for expansion into forest lands.
In addition to the economic development in Guyana and Central Africa, other countries were able to protect forests while supporting economic development, especially in regards to commodities' expansion. The report found several examples of simultaneous economic growth and emissions reductions.
"Countries can have their cake and eat it too," said Boucher. "The report shows that economic development is not hindered by reductions in deforestation. For example, the soy and beef industry in Brazil thrived despite moratoria preventing deforestation, Vietnam expanded agricultural production and forest area simultaneously, and Costa Rica's well protected forests attract millions of ecotourists each year."
The report recommends expanding the implementation of REDD+, particularly in less developed nations. Policymakers should also increase funding for payments for ecosystem services and practice strong enforcement. Further, forest management policies should combine environmental policy with socioeconomic development as well as establish moratoriums to increase effectiveness.
"Ultimately, the report show that every euro, dollar, peso, rupee, dong, and African franc invested in these programs and policy is money well spent," said Boucher. "The rewards far outweigh the costs."
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Union of Concerned Scientists.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Cite This Page:
Union of Concerned Scientists. "Report highlights successful efforts to stem deforestation in 17 countries." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 June 2014. .
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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Australian marine reserves provide safe passageway for endangered species

Date:
April 28, 2014 - SCIENCE DAILY
Source:
Springer Science+Business Media
Summary:
The value of Australia's newly established network of marine parks has been highlighted by an international project that used satellites to track the vulnerable flatback sea turtle. In the study, researchers used advanced satellite tracking systems to record the passage of more than 70 flatbacks off the north-west Australian coastline. A high value migratory corridor, more than 1,000 kilometres in length, was pinpointed, with about half the corridor contained within the network of marine reserves.

The value of Australia's newly established network of marine parks has been highlighted by an international project that used satellites to track the vulnerable flatback sea turtle. The findings are published in Springer's journal Marine Biology. In the study, researchers from Deakin University (Australia), Swansea University (U.K.) and Pendoley Environmental consultancy (Australia) used advanced satellite tracking systems to record the passage of more than 70 flatbacks off the north-west Australian coastline.

A high value migratory corridor, more than 1,000 kilometres in length, was pinpointed, with about half the corridor contained within the network of marine reserves.
"Our findings show that much of the flatback turtle's transit passage -- between its breeding colonies and foraging grounds -- falls within the newly established Commonwealth Marine Reserve network," said Deakin University animal movement expert Professor Graeme Hays, co-author of the study.
These findings will help refine ongoing conservation planning to protect this wide-ranging turtle species using the Australian coast, including the identification of high-use areas outside the existing reserve network. The migration corridor is located tens of kilometres from the Australian mainland and spans tens of kilometres in width. The flatback and other marine species in the area may be susceptible to accidental mortality, such as collision with vessels and fishery bycatch.
Tracking devices were attached to the turtle's soft shell using a flexible harness that detached after about 12 months use. A signal, depicting the turtle's position, was transmitted in real-time to a constellation of satellites known as the 'Argos system' as turtles surfaced to breathe -- about once every 10 to 15 minutes.
The research also highlights how whales, sharks and turtles share a common migration corridor, which was previously unknown. Professor Hays says the team's findings can help inform conservation planning to ensure the flatback turtle is protected throughout its range -- which may span many hundreds or even thousands of kilometres.
"The network of Australian marine reserves may also serve as a template for marine conservation elsewhere in the world. In recognition of the plight of the vulnerable flatback turtle, long-term conservation research programs are being developed to help protect this iconic species," concludes Hays.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Springer Science+Business Media. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
  1. Kellie L. Pendoley, Gail Schofield, Paul A. Whittock, Daniel Ierodiaconou, Graeme C. Hays. Protected species use of a coastal marine migratory corridor connecting marine protected areas. Marine Biology, 2014; DOI:10.1007/s00227-014-2433-7
Cite This Page:
Springer Science+Business Media. "Australian marine reserves provide safe passageway for endangered species." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 April 2014. .
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