Identifying critical foraging habitats of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) along the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula,Mexico

• 1. The conservation of highly mobile and migratory species remains one of the most serious challenges to resource managers.
• 2. Intense mortality of immature green turtles has been identified at principal developmental–feeding habitats in Baja California, and is considered a great threat to the stability of the eastern Pacific population. Thus, coastal lagoons of the Baja California peninsula, such as Bahía Magdalena, have been identified as high priority areas for their protection.
• 3. Conservation efforts to date have focused on creating a sea turtle refuge in the northwestern part of the bay, but this area may not be sufficient for protecting all of the critical feeding areas used by green turtles.
• 4. The diet of green turtles was investigated through analysis of digestive tract contents from 24 green turtles that were drowned incidentally in fishing nets at feeding grounds in Bahía Magdalena and adjacent areas along the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico.
• 5. Mean straight carapace length (SCL) differed significantly between localities: mean: 55.5 cm (range: 47.7–76.9 cm, n=11) in Bahía Magdalena; mean: 67.7 >cm (range: 49–87 cm, n=11) in adjacent coastal waters.
• 6. Green turtle diet consisted largely of marine algae and seagrasses, but food items varied spatially. The red algae Gracilaria pacifica, Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis and Hypea johnstonii were the most abundant diet items inside Bahía Magdalena, and the seagrass Phyllospadix torreyi was the most commonly ingested food in coastal areas outside of the bay.
• 7. Results indicate that green turtles utilize spatially distinct foraging habitats within this region. Therefore, it is recommended that any design of protected areas for sea turtles in Bahía Magdalena should consider a regional approach instead of a local approach, taking into account the most important feeding areas used by green turtles at different life stages.

Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Decimation of a population of the endangered species Scutellastra mexicana (Broderip and Sowerby, 1829) (Mollusca,Gastropoda) in the Marías Island (Eastern Ocean Pacific) Biosphere Reserve

1. Scutellastra mexicana is the largest known patellid limpet species and probably is one of the most endangered marine invertebrates.
2. The species was once distributed along the American Pacific coast from Mexico to Peru, but their large size (up to 35 cm long) and easy accessibility (shallow sublittoral), made it very vulnerable to human collection and now is extinct on most of the mainland Mexican coast.
3. In August 2017, a large population of this species was found on María Cleofas island, off the coast of west‐central Mexico (Marías Archipelago, Pacific Ocean). This constitutes the only report of a population of this species since 1988.
4. A total of 808 adult individuals of up to 26 cm in length and 20 cm in width were estimated, together with the presence of juveniles, suggesting that it is a self‐sustaining population. The population was monitored in August 2017 and August 2018.
5. Although the species is under the category ‘Special Protection’ in the General Mexican Wild Law, and that María Cleofas island is a Biosphere Reserve, fishermen that operate with impunity in the area decimated the limpet population within a year of its discovery. Abundance in the shallowest area decreased significantly from 120 individuals per transect (65 m long and 2.75 m wide) in August 2017 to 48 individuals in August 2018, and the estimated adult population decreased from 808 to 304 limpets.
6. Neither passive national conservation policies nor local practices have reduced current threats to biodiversity and resource depletion in Marías Archipelago. Protected areas like this are ‘paper parks’—parks in name only—because there is no active conservation strategy or protection of marine species.

     

A stranding record of the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) in Algerian West Coast,during 2008–2012

1. Marine mammals stranding data provide valuable information on causes of mortality for cetacean populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the stranding events of common dolphins along the Algerian west coast, and estimate the proportion of human vs. non-human induced mortality of the population.
2. Between 2008 and 2012, out of the 52 cetacean stranding records along the Algerian west coast, common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) were recorded in 14 cases. All recorded strandings were of individual cases with no mass strandings registered during the reported period.
3. To examine the proportion of human and non-human induced mortality affecting this population, necropsies were conducted. In 10 cases, an interaction with some type of fishing gear had occurred; in three, there was no link with human activity; and in one case, it was not possible to determine the cause of death due to the condition of the carcass (severely decomposed).

     

Genetic diversity of immature Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles from the northern Gulf of Mexico

1. The Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is the world’s most endangered sea turtle species. Predominately nesting at only one beach in Mexico, this species declined to an estimated 300 females in the mid-1980s. Conservation efforts in the United States and Mexico, including a head start programme in southern Texas in which hatchlings were reared in captivity for several months before being released into the wild, resulted in the recovery of this species.
2. Although genetic data have previously been used to assess the success of the head start programme and dispersal of individual adults, data on immature turtles sampled at foraging areas and adult females sampled at the main nesting beach in Mexico are lacking. Genetic characterization of immature individuals is important for understanding recruitment, survival, and population demography, while genetic data on individuals from Mexico are essential for understanding dispersal and overall genetic diversity in this species.
3. To address these gaps, mitochondrial DNA data were collected from 106 immature individuals sampled at four different foraging sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico and from 18 nesting females at the primary nesting beach in Mexico.
4. Two previously unknown mitochondrial DNA haplotypes were discovered among the immature individuals.
5. Except for these two new haplotypes, the genetic diversity of immature individuals in the northern Gulf of Mexico closely corresponds to that of adults sampled in Mexico, which suggests that much of the diversity within the nesting population can be found among immature animals dispersing to foraging grounds, including locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
6. Continued monitoring of the genetic variation of different life stages of this species across its distribution range will help assess the success of conservation programmes by ensuring the maintenance of genetic diversity and representation of this diversity across the species’ distribution range.

     

Conservation of aquatic insects in Neotropical regions: A gap analysis using potential distributions of diving beetles in Cuba

1. Human activities are an increasing threat to Neotropical freshwater ecosystems, with the potential extinction of thousands of aquatic species. Despite this, knowledge about the effectiveness of protected area networks in protecting aquatic insects in this biogeographical region is very limited.
2. Cuba supports the highest diversity of aquatic insects in the Antilles, with a large number of endemics.
3. A gap analysis was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the National System of Protected Areas of Cuba (NSPAC) in the conservation of Cuban diving beetles (family Dytiscidae). This involved considering the areas with the highest potential species richness, estimated by using species distribution models with three different approaches (MaxEnt, Random Forest and Support Vector Machine), and the known localities of endemic species.
4. The highest potential species richness of Dytiscidae in Cuba is predicted to occur in the low–medium altitude of the eastern mountain areas. Although most of these areas occur inside the NSPAC, several areas of potential high species richness are currently unprotected. It is recommended that sampling programmes are carried out in areas with high predicted species richness to validate the species distribution models.
5. The distribution of three Cuban endemic species (Copelatus barbouri, Desmopachria glabella and Celina cubensis) lies completely outside of the NSPAC. Despite their conservation interest as threatened endemic species, they are currently unprotected.
6. To improve the conservation of freshwater biodiversity in Cuba it is recommended that (i) the NSPAC network is extended to protect areas supporting endemic species and those with the highest potential species richness that are currently unprotected, and (ii) a whole-catchment management approach, specifically to maintain natural flows, should be adopted, especially in the mountainous areas of eastern Cuba.

     

Intensive fishing has not forced dietary change in the South American fur seal Arctophoca (=Arctocephalus) australis off Río de la Plata and adjoining areas

相似文献   

Hobbyists acting simultaneously as anglers and aquarists: Novel pathways for non-native fish and impacts on native fish

1. Human translocations of non-native aquatic species are a global conservation challenge. Aquarists and anglers are two hobbyist groups whose practices are particularly likely to translocate non-native aquatic species, especially fish.
2. This article aims to stipulate a change of perspective among these hobbyists, who – by acting simultaneously as anglers and aquarists – establish novel pathways for non-native fish.
3. This study showed that: (i) 51 of 226 respondents to a questionnaire act simultaneously as anglers and aquarists; (ii) 53 of 237 non-native fish species in the European Union are used for both angling and aquarium hobbies; and (iii) hobbyists write online reports on the catch and exchange of a particularly invasive fish, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus).
4. This combination of knowledge on how hobbyists use non-native fish and the ecological impacts of round goby demonstrates how the impact of an invasive species can be influenced by the combined behaviours of anglers and aquarists.
5. We suggest that future research in aquatic conservation should move beyond considering the commercial aquarium trade and angling as separate pathways for translocating non-native fish, and instead consider these hobbyist groups as interconnected.

     

Revisiting UK Marine Protected Areas governance: A case study of a collaborative approach to managing an English MPA

1. Case studies of Marine Protected Area (MPA) upscaling were solicited from participants of a workshop at the International Marine Protected Areas Conference held in Autumn 2013 in Marseille.
2. One such case study was Solandt, Jones, Duval‐Diop, Kleiven, and Frangoudes (2014; Governance challenges in scaling up from individual MPAs to MPA networks. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 24, 145–152) which illustrated the role of science, non‐governmental organizations, government and local regulators in applying systemic management measures for local MPAs based on risk, highlighting the importance of balancing top‐down and bottom‐up drivers.
3. Here we follow up on the UK example, illustrating the incentives and actors involved in developing centralized and subsequent fisheries management measures in UK waters. Forty local laws were created to protect features in 143 inshore MPAs between 2013 and 2019.
4. We illustrate best practice in delivering management, focusing on multiple practitioner involvement in a single MPA and the monitoring put in place after trawling and dredging were banned.
5. We reflect on how the governance mechanisms in place in English inshore waters can be used as a template to allow for progressive MPA management in other coastal states.

     

Río de la Plata voyagers: Deciphering the migration ecology of a vulnerable marine catfish (Genidens barbus) in a large subtropical river (lower Uruguay River)

1. Genidens barbus is a vulnerable marine migrant catfish with low fecundity, a complex life cycle (i.e. mouth breeding), and is the target of industrial and artisanal fisheries of several countries. This species regularly migrates from marine to freshwater environments of the south-western Atlantic.
2. The aim of this work was to delve deeper into the migration ecology of G. barbus, characterizing both its timing and potential environmental drivers. Furthermore, aspects of the population structure and reproduction of migrants in the lower Uruguay River were studied and the presence of juveniles in the adjacent estuarine recruitment area was evaluated.
3. Data from 11 years (2008–2018) of records of adult G. barbus captured by artisanal fisheries were used alongside relevant environmental variables that were recorded monthly. Reproductive biology (i.e. sex ratio, gonadosomatic index, fecundity, and oocyte size) was analysed for a period of 3 years (2016–2018). The juvenile abundance in the Río de la Plata estuary was evaluated seasonally.
4. A total of 935 adult individuals of G. barbus were captured, representing a total biomass of 3,123 kg. The migration timing was from early spring to early summer. The abundance of migrants strongly increased with river discharge, suggesting that this variable regulates the upriver migration. Furthermore, pre- and post-spawn females and males displaying mouth breeding were recorded during the study period, confirming G. barbus reproduction in the lower Uruguay River.
5. The results obtained suggest that G. barbus ascend to spawn in the freshwater environments upstream from the mouth of the Uruguay River. Then, adult males incubate and carry the embryos downstream, releasing juveniles in the Río de la Plata estuary.
6. This relevant information will help with the implementation of effective management polices (e.g. fishing restrictions during the reproductive period) for the presently unregulated fishery of this vulnerable species in the lower Uruguay River.

     

Involving local people in the conservation of the critically endangered freshwater turtle Dermatemys mawii in southern Mexico

1. The Central American river turtle Dermatemys mawii is one of the most endangered species in the world, and continues to decline. In Mexico, this turtle is legally protected but, in the rural areas where it is found, local people are not aware of why it is important to conserve it.
2. This study confirmed that D. mawii inhabits lakes in southern Mexico, and that these areas are among the last refuges for this species inside and outside protected areas in the wild.
3. A lack of knowledge about its endangered status among local people means that a strategy of environmental education is needed.

     

Unravelling the complex habitat use of the white mullet,Mugil curema,in several coastal environments from Neotropical Pacific and Atlantic waters

1. The white mullet, Mugil curema, is a widely distributed euryhaline species, the migratory behaviour of which is poorly understood. The objective of this work was to study the large-scale habitat use of this species for the first time. Several environments were considered, such as euryhaline and hypersaline lagoons, the sea, and a river, distributed in the Central Pacific (Mexico) and Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea-Venezuela, and north-eastern Brazil).
2. Otolith core-to-edge Sr/Ca ratios of 163 fish, determined by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, were used to study the salinity-habitat migration history of the fish. Fish from Mexico (Tamiahua Lagoon, n = 4; Alvarado Lagoon, n = 2), Venezuela (n = 1), and Brazil (n = 12) (11.1% of the total) showed high Sr/Ca values at early life stages and were classified as marine estuarine opportunists. Two specimens (from Alvarado Lagoon and Balsas River, Mexico) showed Sr/Ca values consistently below the high salinity guide value (salinity < 33.5). For the rest of the fish (87.1%), the Sr/Ca ratio suggested a displacement from the estuary towards the sea or hypersaline environments, and so these fish were classified as estuarine migrants.
3. A change-point analysis identified six individuals with a single stable otolith Sr/Ca signature through ontogeny (three from Brazil, one from Venezuela, and two from Tamiahua Lagoon, Mexico), suggesting limited displacement between environments with different salinities. The rest of the individuals showed between two and 10 changes in stable Sr/Ca signatures (mean = 4.07 ± 1.85). The highest number of changes in Sr/Ca ratio (4.87 ± 1.1) was found in fish from Laguna Madre (Mexico) and the lowest was found in fish from Brazil (3.27 ± 1.70) (H = 19.8, p = 0.002).
4. Otolith Sr/Ca time series suggest that the migratory estuarine pattern is the most common throughout the study area. This work highlights that the sustainable use of M. curema depends on the conservation of estuaries and the corridors between them and other environments such as lagoons, rivers, mangroves and the sea.

     

Use of remote sensing tools to predict focal areas for sea turtle conservation in the south-western Atlantic

1. Fisheries bycatch of non-target species in the commercial fleet is a major source of anthropogenic injury and mortality for sea turtles and marine megafauna.
2. The Río de la Plata maritime front (RLPMF) and its adjacent international waters – comprising part of the Argentine and Uruguayan exclusive economic zones, is a highly important fishing ground in the south-western Atlantic Ocean as well as feeding and development grounds for sea turtles.
3. This paper analyses the distribution of the bottom and pelagic trawling fishery within the RLPMF using information from Vessel Satellite Monitoring System. With this information, areas of highest trawling intensity were defined and further evaluated their overlap with sea turtle habitat-use areas from available sea turtle satellite tracking information.
4. Results besides identifying high-susceptibility areas for sea turtle bycatch by the commercial trawler fleet along the RLPMF, provide predictive tools to identify vulnerable areas to interaction of sea turtles and the commercial fishing fleet.
5. Implementation of bycatch mitigation measures, such as reduced fishing effort areas by the Argentine and Uruguayan fisheries management agencies has the potential to benefit the fisheries as well as marine megafauna. Furthermore, there is a need for additional research on the impact that this fleet can have on sea turtles present in the area.

     

Present distribution of common dolphin Delphinus delphis in French Mediterranean and adjacent waters as obtained from small boat surveys

1. Common dolphin distribution in the western Mediterranean is still poorly known, with the exception of the Alboran Sea. In French waters, the species occurrence is suspected to have strongly decreased during the 20th century.
2. Small boat dedicated surveys from 1988 to 2012 were undertaken to describe common dolphin distribution in five regions of French waters and three southern regions of the western basin. A total survey effort of 38,561 km resulted in sightings of 25 common dolphin groups in the western basin.
3. Common dolphins were rarely observed off the French continental coast, more frequently around Corsica, and were quite frequent in waters off western Sardinia. Their most favoured habitat was found to be in neritic or upper slope waters.
4. The analysis of stranding records suggested that common dolphins were more abundant in French inshore waters prior to 1980.
5. A major increase of pelagic fish landings occurred from the beginning of the 1960s in the western part of French waters. Local populations of common dolphins may have declined as a consequence of prey depletion.

     

Twenty-five essential research questions to inform the protection and restoration of freshwater biodiversity

1. Freshwater biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate. Freshwater conservationists and environmental managers have enough evidence to demonstrate that action must not be delayed but have insufficient evidence to identify those actions that will be most effective in reversing the current trend.
2. Here, the focus is on identifying essential research topics that, if addressed, will contribute directly to restoring freshwater biodiversity through supporting ‘bending the curve’ actions (i.e. those actions leading to the recovery of freshwater biodiversity, not simply deceleration of the current downward trend).
3. The global freshwater research and management community was asked to identify unanswered research questions that could address knowledge gaps and barriers associated with ‘bending the curve’ actions. The resulting list was refined into six themes and 25 questions.
4. Although context-dependent and potentially limited in global reach, six overarching themes were identified: (i) learning from successes and failures; (ii) improving current practices; (iii) balancing resource needs; (iv) rethinking built environments; (v) reforming policy and investments; and (vi) enabling transformative change.
5. Bold, efficient, science-based actions are necessary to reverse biodiversity loss. We believe that conservation actions will be most effective when supported by sound evidence, and that research and action must complement one another. These questions are intended to guide global freshwater researchers and conservation practitioners, identify key projects and signal research needs to funders and governments. Our questions can act as springboards for multidisciplinary and multisectoral collaborations that will improve the management and restoration of freshwater biodiversity.

     

Identifying priority areas for surface water protection in data scarce regions: An integrated spatial analysis for Zambia

1. This study aimed to develop an integrated analytical framework to identify candidate sites for surface water protection that is applicable at broad scales and in data scarce regions, using Zambia as a case study.
2. In the Zambian Water Resources Management Act of 2011, Water Resource Protection Areas are defined as areas where special measures are necessary for the protection of a catchment, sub-catchment, aquifer, or geographical area. Three specific selection criteria are listed for the definition of Water Resource Protection Areas: (i) areas of high importance in providing water to users in a catchment; (ii) aquatic areas of high ecological importance; and (iii) areas that are particularly sensitive to human impact.
3. In this project, each sub-catchment and river reach of Zambia was characterized for their importance regarding these three criteria. ‘Water provisioning’ was assessed by analysing patterns of runoff generation and human water use; ‘aquatic ecological importance’ was determined by conducting a freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem assessment using a systematic conservation planning approach; and ‘sensitive areas’ were identified by quantifying erosion potential and sediment transport. The work was supported by an assessment of free-flowing rivers in Zambia, i.e., those rivers where aquatic ecosystem functions and services are largely unaffected by changes to fluvial connectivity through dams and other infrastructure.
4. Highly ranked sub-catchments were found in the Liuwa, Barotse, and Bangweulu floodplains and wetlands, and in the headwater regions of the upper Zambezi, Kafue, Chambeshi/Luapula, and Tanganyika catchments. The Luangwa was identified as the highest ranked candidate river for protection within Zambia.
5. The resulting maps, data, and methods are intended to support national-scale efforts to prioritize areas for surface water protection, identify catchments and rivers with high conservation value, optimize decision making for infrastructure development, and inform concerted strategies to maintain and restore freshwater ecosystem services in Zambia.

     

A spatio‐temporal long‐term assessment on the ecological response of reef communities in a Caribbean marine protected area

1. Coral reef biodiversity is rapidly decreasing as a result of the loss of coral cover, which modifies the structure and functioning of the ecosystem. Understanding how coral reef communities respond in space and over the long term is essential in order to implement management strategies and reduce the effects of biodiversity loss on coral reefs.
2. Fish, coral, and algae communities were used as indicators to evaluate changes in coral reef systems. The variation of these communities was studied in a marine protected area composed of three management zones in Cozumel Coral Reef National Park in Quintana Roo, Mexico, over a period of 11 years (2004–2014). The following parameters were monitored annually: (i) total fish density; (ii) fish trophic group densities; (iii) species richness and three fish diversity indices; (iv) relative scleractinian coral cover; and (v) relative macroalgae cover.
3. In the years in which coastal development, such as the construction of a marina, took place, an increase in the abundance of territorial herbivorous and planktivorous fish was observed. As the coral recovered, macrocarnivores and sessile benthic invertivores were re‐established, whereas scraper herbivores showed no changes in the period of study in any of the three management zones.
4. Coral cover recovery showed rapid phase‐shift reversal (phase‐shift, macroalgae dominance over coral) in the three zones. Even though the fish density and coral cover recovered, the diversity indices of each fish trophic group exhibited a reduction in the three management zones over time.

     

Population genetic divergence of bonnethead sharks Sphyrna tiburo in the western North Atlantic: Implications for conservation

1. Sharks are a priority for conservation because numerous species, including small-sized coastal species, are being heavily exploited by commercial and recreational fisheries. Understanding the genetic population structure of sharks is key to effective management, maximizing their evolutionary potential in a rapidly changing environment and preventing population declines.
2. Limited dispersal is an important factor promoting population divergence for several coastal shark species. The genetic variation in 14 microsatellite loci and 21,006 single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped using restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing was analysed to assess the genetic structure of the bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo, in the western North Atlantic.
3. Genetic differences were identified among three well-defined regions: the western Florida coast, the south-eastern US Atlantic coast, and the southern Gulf of Mexico. Results support previous studies based on mitochondrial DNA sequences in defining differences among these regions and suggest limitations of bonnethead sharks in routinely performing long-distance migrations.
4. The limited connectivity among regions explains the pattern of genetic divergence but also reported divergence at the species/subspecies level. These genetically discrete bonnethead populations have independent evolutionary histories that may include local adaptations to specific areas.
5. Bonnethead sharks are currently managed as two stocks in the USA owing to recent genetic, tagging, and life history studies; however, no stock assessments or management plans exist for Mexico. These results not only serve to reinforce US management strategies and provide critical data about the extent of gene flow and sex dispersal among populations, but also begin the process of effective management in the waters of Mexico to ensure the long-term productivity and resilience of this species. With an absence of gene flow between populations from US waters and the southern Gulf of Mexico, there is a need for management plans based upon independent biological and population dynamics data since limited or no opportunities for populations to interchange individuals may occur to re-establish population viability.

     

An unfished area enhances a spiny lobster,Panulirus argus,fishery: implications for management and conservation within a Biosphere Reserve in the Mexican Caribbean

The Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, Latreille, is the main source of income for the communities in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve Mexico. The fishery has recently been certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council provided that further stock assessment is carried out. A total of 379 lobsters were tagged in an unfished area offshore from the Bahía del Espíritu Santo fishing grounds to assess whether lobsters remained within these areas and were thus fully protected. The lobsters recaptured in the shallow area (5.3%) were sufficient to develop a multistate mark recapture model, which takes into account fishing and natural mortality, tag reporting rate and tag loss. This estimated that between 15 and 20% of all adult lobsters dwelling in the unfished area moved into the fishery and were subjected to exploitation. This study suggests that the offshore unfished area provides protection to the majority of the stock in this area while adding to and maintaining fishing yields within the inshore commercial fishery.     

Science for conserving Amazon freshwater ecosystems

1. The Amazon Basin is being degraded at unprecedented rates, yet conservation efforts have implemented protected areas to curb deforestation, leaving freshwater ecosystems vulnerable to degradation. Amazon freshwater ecosystems are largely unprotected because a terrestrial bias has limited the ability of science to affect policy.
2. Overcoming this bias requires increasing exchange of information among stakeholders across the basin to raise awareness of threats to Amazon freshwater ecosystems and promote discussions and access to conservation solutions. To help address this need, this Special Issue collates 15 synthetic articles that advance knowledge and identify conservation solutions.
3. Three articles highlight the importance of considering the hydrological and limnological processes that control the integrity of these freshwater ecosystems and offer new insights on how to extrapolate them across the basin.
4. Three articles on crocodilians, aquatic mammals, and migratory fishes document threats and knowledge gaps, and identify the missing role of governments as an impediment to conservation of their populations.
5. Three articles evaluate the multi-faceted effects of hydropower dams on fish, birds, and floodplain trees. They reinforce perceptions that dams are key environmental threats and offer guidance for improving protocols for dam site selection and impact assessment.
6. Three articles assessing the effectiveness of protected areas to safeguard fish and aquatic invertebrates show there is an urgent need to redesign the Amazon protected area network to adequately protect freshwater biota.
7. Three forward-looking articles show that: (i) conservation initiatives by local communities are ‘bright spots’ for freshwater conservation; (ii) microchemistry analyses of the ear bones of fishes could boost the knowledge base needed to conserve them; and (iii) strengthening the Amazon conservation framework requires a reversal of Brazil's current governmental priorities, remobilization of stakeholders, investments in capacity building, and expanding protections to terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.