From Sea to Sea: Canada's Three Oceans of Biodiversity

Evaluating and understanding biodiversity in marine ecosystems are both necessary and challenging for conservation. This paper compiles and summarizes current knowledge of the diversity of marine taxa in Canada's three oceans while recognizing that this compilation is incomplete and will change in the future. That Canada has the longest coastline in the world and incorporates distinctly different biogeographic provinces and ecoregions (e.g., temperate through ice-covered areas) constrains this analysis. The taxonomic groups presented here include microbes, phytoplankton, macroalgae, zooplankton, benthic infauna, fishes, and marine mammals. The minimum number of species or taxa compiled here is 15,988 for the three Canadian oceans. However, this number clearly underestimates in several ways the total number of taxa present. First, there are significant gaps in the published literature. Second, the diversity of many habitats has not been compiled for all taxonomic groups (e.g., intertidal rocky shores, deep sea), and data compilations are based on short-term, directed research programs or longer-term monitoring activities with limited spatial resolution. Third, the biodiversity of large organisms is well known, but this is not true of smaller organisms. Finally, the greatest constraint on this summary is the willingness and capacity of those who collected the data to make it available to those interested in biodiversity meta-analyses. Confirmation of identities and intercomparison of studies are also constrained by the disturbing rate of decline in the number of taxonomists and systematists specializing on marine taxa in Canada. This decline is mostly the result of retirements of current specialists and to a lack of training and employment opportunities for new ones. Considering the difficulties encountered in compiling an overview of biogeographic data and the diversity of species or taxa in Canada's three oceans, this synthesis is intended to serve as a biodiversity baseline for a new program on marine biodiversity, the Canadian Healthy Ocean Network. A major effort needs to be undertaken to establish a complete baseline of Canadian marine biodiversity of all taxonomic groups, especially if we are to understand and conserve this part of Canada's natural heritage

Insegurança alimentar em domicílios brasileiros com crianças menores de cinco anos

This article analyzes food insecurity and hunger in Brazilian families with children under five years of age. This was a nationally representative cross-sectional study using data from the National Demographic and Health Survey on Women and Children (PNDS-2006), in which the outcome variable was moderate to severe food insecurity, measured by the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA). Prevalence estimates and prevalence ratios were generated with 95% confidence intervals. The results showed a high prevalence of moderate to severe food insecurity, concentrated in the North and Northeast regions (30.7%), in economic classes D and E (34%), and in beneficiaries of conditional cash transfer programs (36.5%). Multivariate analysis showed that the socioeconomic relative risks (beneficiaries of conditional cash transfers), regional relative risks (North and Northeast regions), and economic relative risks (classes D and E) were 1.8, 2.0 and 2.4, respectively. Aggregation of the three risks showed 48% of families with moderate to severe food insecurity, meaning that adults and children were going hungry during the three months preceding the survey.Se plantea estudiar el proceso de inseguridad alimentaria y el hambre en los hogares brasileños con niños menores de cinco años. Se trata de un estudio transversal a nivel nacional, realizado con datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Demografía y Salud de la Mujer y la Infancia (PNDS 2006), siendo la variable dependiente la inseguridad alimentaria moderada y grave (IAM+G), medidas mediante la Escala Brasileña de Inseguridad Alimentaria (EBIA). Se generaron estimaciones de prevalencia y razón de prevalencia con intervalos de 95% de confianza. Los resultados muestran una alta prevalencia de IAM+G en el Norte y Nordeste (30,7%), en las clases económicas D y E (34%), y entre los beneficiarios de los programas de transferencias de renta (36,5%). El modelo de análisis multivariado descubrió que los riesgos sociales (beneficiario de programas de transferencias de renta), regionales (Norte y Nordeste) y económicos (clases D y E) fueron de 1,8, 2,0 y 2,4, respectivamente. Mediante la agregación de los tres riesgos se encontró el 48% de los hogares en IAM+G, o sea, adultos y niños tuvieron hambre durante los tres meses anteriores a la encuesta.Este artigo se propõe a estudar o processo de insegurança alimentar e fome em domicílios brasileiros com crianças menores de cinco anos. É um estudo transversal com representatividade nacional executado com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Demografia e Saúde da Criança e da Mulher (PNDS-2006) tendo como variável dependente a insegurança alimentar moderada e grave (IAM+G), medida através da Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar (EBIA). Foram geradas estimativas de prevalência e razão de prevalência com intervalos de 95% de confiança. Os resultados apontam para alta prevalência de IAM+G concentrada nas regiões Norte e Nordeste (30,7%), nas classes econômicas D e E (34%) e em beneficiários de Programas de Transferência de Renda (PTR; 36,5%). O modelo de análise multivariada constatou que os riscos sociais (beneficiário de PTR), regionais (Norte e Nordeste) e econômicos (classes D e E) eram de 1,8, 2,0 e 2,4, respectivamente. Agregando-se os três riscos observou-se que 48% dos domicílios encontravam-se em IAM+G, ou seja, crianças e adultos passaram fome nos três meses anteriores ao inquérito.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade Estadual de Campinas Faculdade de Ciências MédicasUNIFESPSciEL