MICELLE-MEDIATED EXTRACTION AS A TOOL FOR SEPARATION AND PRECONCENTRATION IN COPPER ANALYSIS

A cloud point extraction method was presented for preconcentration of copper in various samples. After complexation with 4-Amino-2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-3-pyrazoline-5-one (ADPP) or N-Benzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine (BPA)  in water, analyte ions are quantitatively extracted to the phase rich in Triton X-114 after centrifugation. 2.0 mol L-1 HNO3 solution in methanol was added to the surfactant-rich phase prior to its analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The adopted concentrations for ADPP, Triton X-114, HNO3 and parameters such as bath temperature, centrifuge rate and time were optimized. Detection limits (3SDb/m) of 1.3 and 1.9 ng mL-1 for ADPP and BPA along with enrichment factors of 30 and 38 for ADPP and BPA were achieved. The high efficiency of cloud point extraction to carry out the determination of analyte in complex matrices was demonstrated. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of biological, industrial, natural and wastewater, soil and blood samples.   Keywords: 4-Amino-2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-3-pyrazoline-5-one (ADPP), N-Benzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine (BPA) ,   Cloud Point Extraction, Triton X-114, Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Local-scale projections of coral reef futures and implications of the Paris Agreement

International audienceIncreasingly frequent severe coral bleaching is among the greatest threats to coral reefs posed by climate change. Global climate models (GCMs) project great spatial variation in the timing of annual severe bleaching (ASB) conditions; a point at which reefs are certain to change and recovery will be limited. However, previous model-resolution projections (~1 × 1°) are too coarse to inform conservation planning. To meet the need for higher-resolution projections, we generated statistically downscaled projections (4-km resolution) for all coral reefs; these projections reveal high local-scale variation in ASB. Timing of ASB varies >10 years in 71 of the 87 countries and territories with >500 km 2 of reef area. Emissions scenario RCP4.5 represents lower emissions mid-century than will eventuate if pledges made following the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21) become reality. These pledges do little to provide reefs with more time to adapt and acclimate prior to severe bleaching conditions occurring annually. RCP4.5 adds 11 years to the global average ASB timing when compared to RCP8.5; however, >75% of reefs still experience ASB before 2070 under RCP4.5. Coral reef futures clearly vary greatly among and within countries, indicating the projections warrant consideration in most reef areas during conservation and management planning

Assessing relative resilience potential of coral reefs to inform management

International audienceEcological resilience assessments are an important part of resilience-based management (RBM) and can help prioritize and target management actions. Use of such assessments has been limited due to a lack of clear guidance on the assessment process. This study builds on the latest scientific advances in RBM to provide that guidance from a resilience assessment undertaken in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). We assessed spatial variation in ecological resilience potential at 78 forereef sites near the populated islands of the CNMI: Saipan, Tinian/Aguijan, and Rota. The assessments are based on measuring indicators of resilience processes and are combined with information on anthropogenic stress and larval connectivity. We find great spatial variation in relative resilience potential with many high resilience sites near Saipan (5 of 7) and low resilience sites near Rota (7 of 9). Criteria were developed to identify priority sites for six types of management actions (e.g., conservation, land-based sources of pollution reduction, and fishery management and enforcement) and 51 of the 78 sites met at least one of the sets of criteria. The connectivity simulations developed indicate that Tinian and Aguijan are each roughly 10 × the larvae source that Rota is and twice as frequent a destination. These results may explain the lower relative resilience potential of Rota reefs and indicates that actions in Saipan and Tinian/Aguijan will be important to maintaining supply of larvae. The process we describe for undertaking resilience assessments can be tailored for use in coral reef areas globally and applied to other ecosystems

The inclusion of fisheries and tourism in marine protected areas to support conservation in Indonesia

With the rapid growth of Indonesia’s marine protected area (MPAs) estate in Indonesia, reaching 23.9 million hectares by January 2020, attention needs to be focused on strengthening the effectiveness of MPA management. Consolidating and expanding protection of Indonesia’s marine resources is critical with increasing pressure from a fast-expanding population, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, pollution, coastal development, unsustainable tourism and climate change. Biodiversity conservation must therefore concurrently consider multiple economic sectors such as fisheries and tourism, and their synergies with MPA management. This paper aims to outline the current landscape of fisheries and marine tourism pertaining to area-based conservation in Indonesia, to inform and support improved integration into effective MPA management. Four areas to focus efforts were identified: diversification of governance types of community-based management, improved coordination between fisheries and MPAs during planning and management implementation, the development and support of pathways for sustainable tourism, and planning for future conditions. Sustainable development for fisheries and tourism must be incorporated into all aspects of MPA management, whilst recognising that current management systems are insufficient to ensure long-term sustainability for natural resources and local communities, and strategies need to increase resilience of social-ecological systems in anticipation of future conditions

Equitable and effective area‐based conservation: towards the conserved areas paradigm

In 2018, the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted a decision on protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). It contains the definition of an OECM and related scientific and technical advice that has broadened the scope of governance authorities and areas that can be engaged and recognised in global conservation efforts. The voluntary guidance on OECMs and protected areas, also included in the decision, promotes the use of diverse, effective and equitable governance models, the integration of protected areas and OECMs into wider landscapes and seascapes, and mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation across sectors. Taken as a whole, the advice and voluntary guidance provides further clarity about the CBD Parties’ understanding of what constitutes equitable and effective area-based conservation measures within and beyond protected areas and provides standardised criteria with which to measure and report areas’ attributes and performance. This policy perspective suggests that this CBD decision represents further evidence of the evolution from the ‘new paradigm for protected areas’ to a broader ‘conserved areas paradigm’ that embodies good governance, equity and effective conservation outcomes and is inclusive of a diversity of contributions to conservation within and beyond protected areas

Social–environmental drivers inform strategic management of coral reefs in the Anthropocene

Without drastic efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate globalized stressors, tropical coral reefs are in jeopardy. Strategic conservation and management requires identification of the environmental and socioeconomic factors driving the persistence of scleractinian coral assemblages—the foundation species of coral reef ecosystems. Here, we compiled coral abundance data from 2,584 Indo-Pacific reefs to evaluate the influence of 21 climate, social and environmental drivers on the ecology of reef coral assemblages. Higher abundances of framework-building corals were typically associated with: weaker thermal disturbances and longer intervals for potential recovery; slower human population growth; reduced access by human settlements and markets; and less nearby agriculture. We therefore propose a framework of three management strategies (protect, recover or transform) by considering: (1) if reefs were above or below a proposed threshold of >10% cover of the coral taxa important for structural complexity and carbonate production; and (2) reef exposure to severe thermal stress during the 2014–2017 global coral bleaching event. Our findings can guide urgent management efforts for coral reefs, by identifying key threats across multiple scales and strategic policy priorities that might sustain a network of functioning reefs in the Indo-Pacific to avoid ecosystem collapse

Evolution of microhabitat association and morphology in a diverse group of cryptobenthic coral reef fishes (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Eviota)

Gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae) are an extremely diverse and widely distributed group and are the second most species rich family of vertebrates. Ecological drivers are key to the evolutionary success of the Gobiidae. However, ecological and phylogenetic data are lacking for many diverse genera of gobies. Our study investigated the evolution of microhabitat association across the phylogeny of 18 species of dwarfgobies (genus Eviota), an abundant and diverse group of coral reef fishes. In addition, we also explore the evolution of pectoral fin-ray branching and sensory head pores to determine the relationship between morphological evolution and microhabitat shifts. Our results demonstrate that Eviota species switched multiple times from a facultative hard-coral association to inhabiting rubble or mixed sand/rubble habitat. We found no obvious relationship between microhabitat shifts and changes in pectoral fin-ray branching or reduction in sensory pores, with the latter character being highly homoplasious throughout the genus. The relative flexibility in coral-association in Eviota combined with the ability to move into non-coral habitats suggests a genetic capacity for ecological release in contrast to the strict obligate coral-dwelling relationship commonly observed in closely related coral gobies, thus promoting co-existence through fine scale niche partitioning. The variation in microhabitat association may facilitate opportunistic ecological speciation, and species persistence in the face of environmental change. This increased speciation opportunity, in concert with a high resilience to extinction, may explain the exceptionally high diversity seen in Eviota compared to related genera in the family. © 2012 Elsevier Inc

A global map of human pressures on tropical coral reefs

As human activities on the world's oceans intensify, mapping human pressure is essential to develop appropriate conservation strategies and prioritize investments with limited resources. Here, we map six human (nonclimatic) pressures on coral reefs using the latest quantitative data on fishing, water pollution (nitrogen and sediments), coastal population, industrial development, and tourism. Using a percentile approach to rank different stressors, we identify the top-ranked local pressure and estimate a cumulative pressure index for 54,596 global coral reef pixels at 0.05° (∼5 km) resolution. We find that coral reefs are exposed to multiple intense local pressures: fishing and water pollution (nutrients and sediments) are the most common top-ranked pressures worldwide (in 30.8% and 32.3% of reef cells, respectively), although each pressure was ranked as a top pressure in some locations. We also find that local pressures are similar inside and outside a proposed global portfolio of coral reef climate refugia, suggesting that even potential climate refugia have high levels of local human pressure that require effective management. Our findings and datasets provide the best available information that can ensure local pressures are effectively managed across the world's coral reefs

The rapid expansion of Indonesia’s marine protected area requires improvement in management effectiveness

Indonesia’s marine ecosystems are among the most diverse in the world, supporting extensive critical habitats with strong connections to coastal communities. To keep pace with increasing pressures on the environment, conservation efforts need to be strengthened and expanded. The Government of Indonesia has committed to protecting marine ecosystems through establishing 32.5 million ha of marine protected areas (MPAs), with 20 million ha effectively managed, by 2030. Therefore, collating data on the status and progress of marine conservation efforts nationally is important to show the extent to which this target is being reached. Here we provide an overview of the status and trends of spatial coverage and management effectiveness of MPAs in Indonesia. As of 2020, Indonesia had made good progress in reaching its target – with 23.9 million ha MPA established and some —albeit slow— increases in MPA management effectiveness. Moving forward, we recommend that marine protection efforts in Indonesia need to balance MPAs expansion with improvement in effectiveness. Improvement of management effectiveness will require significant efforts, including improving institutional coordination, ensuring adequate human and financial resources, and strengthened monitoring, evaluation, and learning to inform adaptive management. Future MPA expansion should focus on addressing specific gaps in the existing network, such as increasing coastal habitat representation, and connectivity, or increasing recognition of a diversity of governance approaches (e.g., by communities or private entities). Progress over recent decades, however, suggests Indonesia is making progress on its marine protection goals and is well placed to meet potential future targets