Enhancing Uptake of Nature-Based Solutions for Informing Coastal Sustainable Development Policy and Planning: A Malaysia Case Study

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have been advocated to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits. The uptake of NbS differs regionally with some countries exhibiting greater uptake than others. The success of NbS also differs regionally with varying environmental conditions and social-ecological processes. In many regions, the body of knowledge, particularly around the efficacy of such efforts, remains fragmented. Having an “inventory” or “tool box” of regionally-trialed methods, outcomes and lessons learnt can improve the evidence base, inform adaptive management, and ultimately support the uptake of NbS. Using Malaysia as a case study, we provide a comprehensive overview of trialed and tested NbS efforts that used nature to address societal challenges in marine and coastal environments (here referring to mangroves, seagrass, coral reefs), and detailed these efforts according to their objectives, as well as their anticipated and actual outcomes. The NbS efforts were categorized according to the IUCN NbS approach typology and mapped to provide a spatial overview of IUCN NbS effort types. A total of 229 NbS efforts were collated, representing various levels of implementation success. From the assessment of these efforts, several key actions were identified as a way forward to enhance the uptake of Nature-based Solutions for informing coastal sustainable development policy and planning. These include increasing education, training, and knowledge sharing; rationalizing cooperation across jurisdictions, laws, and regulations; enhancing environmental monitoring; leveraging on existing policies; enabling collaboration and communication; and implementing sustainable finance instruments. These findings can be used to inform the improved application and uptake of NbS, globally.</jats:p

Spatial and seasonal use of habitat by birds in northern Nigeria

Capsule: Although woodland habitat supports higher avian species diversity and abundance, shrubland may be more important for migratory species. Aims: To investigate the use of habitat, site and season by bird species according to feeding guild, residence status and population trend in Dutse, Northern Nigeria. Methods: A point transect was used to count and identify birds between 0630 and 1100 hours from August 2015 to February 2016 across habitats, sites and seasons in Dutse. Results: Frugivore abundance was significantly higher in woodland habitat. The woodland and shrubland habitats had a higher proportion of resident and migratory species, respectively. Birds with stable population trends were more abundant in woodland, whereas the abundance of birds with decreasing trends were generally similar across most sites. Most of the birds with decreasing trends were migratory species. The dry season had a higher abundance and diversity of birds across different feeding guilds, residence status and population trend status than the wet season. Conclusion: Both woodland and shrubland in Dutse were important bird habitats, but migrant species preferentially used shrubland. The shrubland habitat and the dry season should be prioritized for conservation consideration, especially for migrant birds in Dutse

The topology of foliations and integrable Morse-Bott systems on surfaces

Nesta tese estudamos os sistemas integráveis definidos em superfícies compactas possuindo uma integral primeira que é uma função Morse-Bott a valores em R. Estes sistemas são aqui chamados de sistemas integráveis Morse-Bott. Classificamos as curvas fechadas e oitos associados a pontos de selas imersos em superfícies compactas. Essa classificação é aplicada ao estudo das folheações Morse-Bott em superfícies e nos permite definir um invariante topológico completo para a classificação topológica global destas folheações. Como uma aplicação desse estudo obtemos a classificação dos sistemas Morse-Bott assim como a classificação topológica das funções Morse-Bott em superfícies compactas e orientáveis. Demonstramos ainda um teorema da realização baseado em duas transformações e numa folheação geradora. Para o caso das funções Morse-Bott também obtivemos um teorema de realização. Finalmente, investigamos a generalização de alguns dos resultados anteriores para sistemas definidos em superfícies não orientáveis.In this thesis we study integrable systems on compact surfaces with a first integral as a Morse-Bott function with target R. These systems are called here integrable Morse-Bott systems. Initially we present the classification of closed curves and eights associated to saddle points on compact surfaces. This classification is applied to the study of Morse- Bott foliations on surfaces allowing us to define a complete topological invariant for the global topological classification of these foliations. Then as an application of this study we obtain the classification of integrable Morse-Bott systems as well as the topological classification of Morse-Bott functions on compact and orientable surfaces. We also prove a realization theorem based on two transformation and a generating foliation (the foliation on the sphere with two centers). In the case of Morse-Bott functions we also obtain a realization theorem. Finally we investigate generalizations of previous results for systems defined on non-orientable surfaces

Estimating fishing and natural mortality rates, and catchability coefficient, from a series of observations on mean length and fishing effort

Gedamke and Hoenig (2006) (Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 135: 476-487) developed a non-equilibrium version of the Beverton and Holt estimator of total mortality rate, Z, based on mean length and thereby increased the usefulness of length-based methods. In this study, we extend their model by replacing period-specific Z parameters with the year-specific parameterization Z y = qf y + M where q is the catchability coefficient, f y is the fishing effort in year y, F (=qf) is the fishing mortality rate, and M is the natural mortality rate. Thus, the problem reduces to estimating just three parameters: q, M and residual variance. We used Monte Carlo simulation to study the model behaviour. Estimates of q and M are highly negatively correlated and may or may not be reliable; however, the estimates of corresponding Z's are more precise than estimates of F and are generally reliable, even when uncertainty about the mean lengths is high. This length-based method appears to work best for stocks with rapid growth rate. Contrast in effort data may not be necessary for reliable estimates of Z's. This approach forms a bridge between data-limited models and more complex models. We apply the method to the Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus stock in Portugal as an example

Trophic ecology of a tropical scyphozoan community in coastal waters: Insights from stomach content and stable isotope analyses

Despite the growing concern of scyphozoan jellyfish blooms and their associated threats, there is an acute lack of baseline knowledge regarding the trophic ecology of scyphozoans in tropical waters where blooms of several species sometimes occur at once or successively. Therefore, this study was conducted from June 2010 to December 2011 in the Klang Strait (Malaysia) to elucidate the trophic ecology of eight sympatric species of scyphozoan that occurred in a conjoint mangrove-mudflat habitat. The species diet, trophic position and the relative contribution of primary producers to their nutrition were determined by integrating stomach content examination with stable isotope analysis. Scyphozoans in the Klang Strait are principally carnivores and can be grouped into three major trophic guilds: specialized copepod feeder, copepod and macrozooplankton feeder, and mixed plankton feeder. Bayesian mixing model of δ13C isotope values indicates that the scyphozoans mainly derived their basal carbon source from microphytobenthos and phytoplankton. Analysis of δ15N isotope values reveals that all species are positioned at the third trophic level after mixed zooplankton groups (second) and primary producers (first) in the food web. Scyphozoans thus represent an important trophic link coupling benthic and pelagic primary production to higher-level predators and humans, and are important carbon exporters from nearshore to neritic and offshore waters

Fish Ontology framework for taxonomy-based fish recognition

Life science ontologies play an important role in Semantic Web. Given the diversity in fish species and the associated wealth of information, it is imperative to develop an ontology capable of linking and integrating this information in an automated fashion. As such, we introduce the Fish Ontology (FO), an automated classification architecture of existing fish taxa which provides taxonomic information on unknown fish based on metadata restrictions. It is designed to support knowledge discovery, provide semantic annotation of fish and fisheries resources, data integration, and information retrieval. Automated classification for unknown specimens is a unique feature that currently does not appear to exist in other known ontologies. Examples of automated classification for major groups of fish are demonstrated, showing the inferred information by introducing several restrictions at the species or specimen level. The current version of FO has 1,830 classes, includes widely used fisheries terminology, and models major aspects of fish taxonomy, grouping, and character. With more than 30,000 known fish species globally, the FO will be an indispensable tool for fish scientists and other interested users

Abundance estimates of three cetacean species in the coastal waters of Matang Perak, Peninsular Malaysia

The paucity of baseline data on coastal cetaceans due to a lack of research in developing countries frequently precludes assessment of their status and informed management actions for conservation. This study provides the first abundance estimates of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Irrawaddy dolphins, and Indo-Pacific finless porpoises in the coastal waters of Matang, Peninsular Malaysia. Boat-based surveys covering 1,152 km2 of coastal waters with 4,108 km of survey effort were conducted between 2013 and 2016 to collect data for line transect analysis of Irrawaddy dolphins and finless porpoises. Photo-identification data of humpback dolphins were concurrently collected for mark-recapture analysis. Estimates of abundance from four sampling strata totalled 763 Irrawaddy dolphins (CV = 13%, 95% confidence interval (CI) [588, 990]) and 600 Indo-Pacific finless porpoises (CV = 27%, 95% CI [354, 1,016]). The annual abundance estimates of humpback dolphins ranged between 171 (95% CI [148, 208]) in 2014?2015 and 81 (95% CI [67, 98]) in 2015?2016, likely due to the presence of offshore individuals that moved in and out of the study area. The estuarine strata were inhabited by 68 (95% CI [63, 73]) inshore humpback dolphins in 2013?2014 to 87 (95% CI [78, 97]) dolphins in 2014?2015. As an International Union for Conservation of Nature important marine mammal area, the productive coastal waters of Matang are shown to support a high density of small coastal cetaceans, and the results serve as an important baseline for future studies to identify population trends for conservation management plans

Abundance estimates of three cetacean species in the coastal waters of Matang Perak, Peninsular Malaysia

This research was supported by funding from the University of Malaya Research Programme grant no. RP001F-13SUS, University of Malaya Postgraduate Research Fund no. PG040-2013B, and an Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong grant (MM03-1314).The paucity of baseline data on coastal cetaceans due to a lack of research in developing countries frequently precludes assessment of their status and informed management actions for conservation. This study provides the first abundance estimates of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Irrawaddy dolphins, and Indo-Pacific finless porpoises in the coastal waters of Matang, Peninsular Malaysia. Boat-based surveys covering 1,152 km2 of coastal waters with 4,108 km of survey effort were conducted between 2013 and 2016 to collect data for line transect analysis of Irrawaddy dolphins and finless porpoises. Photo-identification data of humpback dolphins were concurrently collected for mark-recapture analysis. Estimates of abundance from four sampling strata totalled 763 Irrawaddy dolphins (CV = 13%, 95% confidence interval (CI) [588, 990]) and 600 Indo-Pacific finless porpoises (CV = 27%, 95% CI [354, 1,016]). The annual abundance estimates of humpback dolphins ranged between 171 (95% CI [148, 208]) in 2014?2015 and 81 (95% CI [67, 98]) in 2015?2016, likely due to the presence of offshore individuals that moved in and out of the study area. The estuarine strata were inhabited by 68 (95% CI [63, 73]) inshore humpback dolphins in 2013?2014 to 87 (95% CI [78, 97]) dolphins in 2014?2015. As an International Union for Conservation of Nature important marine mammal area, the productive coastal waters of Matang are shown to support a high density of small coastal cetaceans, and the results serve as an important baseline for future studies to identify population trends for conservation management plans.PostprintPeer reviewe

Mitogenome of Gymnothorax minor and phylogenetic relationship with its congeners and related genera (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae)

Gymnothorax minor is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae found in the Western Pacific Ocean. We report here its complete mitogenome as determined by Illumina next-generation sequencing and the phylogenetic relationship with its congeners and other taxa of the family Muraenidae. The whole mitogenome of G. minor had a total length of 16,574 bp, comprising 37 genes - 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) and 22 transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) genes - and a control region. Excepting cox1 with GTG, the other 12 PCGs had ATG start codon. Seven of its PCGs had incomplete stop codon - five (nad2; cox1; cox2; nad3 and nad4) with T and two (atp6 and cox3) with TA. Molecular phylogeny based on 13 PCGs was concordant with 15 mitochondrial genes (13 PCGs and 2 rRNA genes). The subfamily Muraeninae as well as the subfamily Uropterygiinae were monophyletic. However, the genus Gymnothorax was paraphyletic, with G. minor forming a sister group with Rhinomuraena quaesita in the lineage containing also G. kidako and G. formosus forming a sister group with Enchelynassa canina. The phylogenetic relationship of the genus Gymnothorax and related taxa of the family Muraenidae, based on the mitochondrial cob gene, was in general similar to that based on 15 mt-genes. The mitogenome is useful for future studies on phylogenetics and systematics of eels of the family Muraenidae and other taxa of the order Anguilliformes