Rapid biodiversity change that is already occurring across the globe is accelerating, with major ... more Rapid biodiversity change that is already occurring across the globe is accelerating, with major and often negative consequences for human well-being. Biodiversity change is partly driven by climate change, but it has many other interacting drivers that are also driving human adaptation, including invasive species, landuse change, pollution and overexploitation. Humans are adapting to changes in well-being that are related with these biodiversity drivers and other forces and pressures. Adaptation, in turn, has feedbacks both for biodiversity change and human well-being; however, to date, these processes have received little science or policy attention. This Special Issue introduces human adaptation to biodiversity change as a science-policy issue. Research on human adaptation to biodiversity change requires new methods and tools as well as conceptual evolution, as social-ecological systems and environmental change adaptation approaches must be reconsidered when they are applied to different processes and contexts-where biodiversity change drivers are highly significant, where people are responding principally to changes in species, species communities and related ecosystem processes, and where adaptation entails changes in the management of biodiversity and related resource use regimes. The research was carried out in different marine and terrestrial environments across the globe. All of the studies consider adaptation among highly biodiversity-reliant populations, including Indigenous Peoples in the Americas and Europe, farmers in Asia and marine resource users in Europe and the Pacific. The concept of autochthonous adaptation is introduced to specifically address adaptation to environmental change in local systems, which also considers that local adaptation is conditioned by multiscalar influences and occurs in synergy or conflict with adaptations of other non-local agents and actors who enable or constrain autochthonous adaptation options.
Effective Opportunistic Citizen Science 'managed crowd-sourcing' of an Australia-wide network of ... more Effective Opportunistic Citizen Science 'managed crowd-sourcing' of an Australia-wide network of scientists with taxonomic expertise is used to verify every photographic observation. This unique system is supported by efficient workflows that ensures the rigor of data submitted. Moreover, ease of involvement for participants and prompt personal feedback has contributed to generating and maintaining ongoing interest. The design of Redmap Australia allows co-creation of knowledge with the community-without participants requiring formal training-providing an opportunity to engage sectors of the community that may not necessarily be willing to undergo training or otherwise be formally involved or engaged in citizen science. Given that capturing changes in our natural environment requires many observations spread over time and space, identifying factors and processes that support large-scale citizen science monitoring projects is increasingly critical.
Marine social-ecological systems are influenced by the way humans interact with their environment... more Marine social-ecological systems are influenced by the way humans interact with their environment, and external forces, which change and reshape the environment. In many regions, exploitation of marine resources and climate change are two of the primary drivers shifting the abundance and distribution of marine living resources, with negative effects on marine-dependent communities. Governance systems determine 'who' makes decisions, 'what' are their powers and responsibilities, and 'how' they are exercised. Understanding the connections between the actors comprising governance systems and influences between governance and the environment is therefore critical to support successful transitions to novel forms of governance required to deal with environmental changes. The paper provides an analytical framework with a practical example from Vanuatu, for mapping and assessment of the governance system providing for management of coral reef fish resources. The framework enables a rapid analysis of governance systems to identify factors that can encourage, or hinder, the adaptation of communities to changes in abundance or availability of marine resources.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Climate change is leading to shifts in species geographical distributions, but populations are al... more Climate change is leading to shifts in species geographical distributions, but populations are also probably adapting to environmental change at different rates across their range. Owing to a lack of natural and empirical data on the influence of phenotypic adaptation on range shifts of marine species, we provide a general conceptual model for understanding population responses to climate change that incorporates plasticity and adaptation to environmental change in marine ecosystems. We use this conceptual model to help inform where within the geographical range each mechanism will probably operate most strongly and explore the supporting evidence in species. We then expand the discussion from a single-species perspective to community-level responses and use the conceptual model to visualize and guide research into the important yet poorly understood processes of plasticity and adaptation. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to ra...
A major diculty confronting the determination of cephalopod reproductive life history is assessin... more A major diculty confronting the determination of cephalopod reproductive life history is assessing over what portion of the life span an individual is reproductively mature and actively depositing eggs. This paper assesses the potential of the tropical Sepioteuthis lessoniana and two genetic types of the temperate Sepioteuthis australis, to spawn multiple batches of eggs at discrete times throughout the adult life span. This is achieved by histological examination of the ovarian gametogenic cycle and detailed morphological assessments of the reproductive system, in conjunction with other biological information. The genetic type of S. australis found at the northern limits of its Australian distribution showed evidence of a high correlation between body size and quantity of mature eggs, suggesting that eggs may be accumulating to be laid in a single batch. Although maturation was also a sizerelated process in S. lessoniana and Tasmanian S. australis, oviduct size was not correlated with body weight in mature females, which is indicative of multiple spawning. Further supporting evidence includes relatively low gonadosomatic indices, the heavier weight of the ovary relative to the oviduct, and the feeding activity of mature animals. Mature S. lessoniana and S. australis individuals were present at each location over very wide age and size ranges. In Tasmanian waters, there were distinct seasonal dierences in the reproductive biology of S. australis. Summer-caught individuals had much higher gonadosomatic indices and may have been laying larger batches of eggs compared with winter-caught individuals. Summer-caught females also showed a negative correlation between egg size and egg number within the oviduct, suggesting that some individuals were producing fewer, larger eggs and others many smaller eggs. Evidence suggests that considerable¯exibility is inherent in the reproductive strategy of both S. lessoniana and S. australis.
Rapid biodiversity change that is already occurring across the globe is accelerating, with major ... more Rapid biodiversity change that is already occurring across the globe is accelerating, with major and often negative consequences for human well-being. Biodiversity change is partly driven by climate change, but it has many other interacting drivers that are also driving human adaptation, including invasive species, landuse change, pollution and overexploitation. Humans are adapting to changes in well-being that are related with these biodiversity drivers and other forces and pressures. Adaptation, in turn, has feedbacks both for biodiversity change and human well-being; however, to date, these processes have received little science or policy attention. This Special Issue introduces human adaptation to biodiversity change as a science-policy issue. Research on human adaptation to biodiversity change requires new methods and tools as well as conceptual evolution, as social-ecological systems and environmental change adaptation approaches must be reconsidered when they are applied to different processes and contexts-where biodiversity change drivers are highly significant, where people are responding principally to changes in species, species communities and related ecosystem processes, and where adaptation entails changes in the management of biodiversity and related resource use regimes. The research was carried out in different marine and terrestrial environments across the globe. All of the studies consider adaptation among highly biodiversity-reliant populations, including Indigenous Peoples in the Americas and Europe, farmers in Asia and marine resource users in Europe and the Pacific. The concept of autochthonous adaptation is introduced to specifically address adaptation to environmental change in local systems, which also considers that local adaptation is conditioned by multiscalar influences and occurs in synergy or conflict with adaptations of other non-local agents and actors who enable or constrain autochthonous adaptation options.
Effective Opportunistic Citizen Science 'managed crowd-sourcing' of an Australia-wide network of ... more Effective Opportunistic Citizen Science 'managed crowd-sourcing' of an Australia-wide network of scientists with taxonomic expertise is used to verify every photographic observation. This unique system is supported by efficient workflows that ensures the rigor of data submitted. Moreover, ease of involvement for participants and prompt personal feedback has contributed to generating and maintaining ongoing interest. The design of Redmap Australia allows co-creation of knowledge with the community-without participants requiring formal training-providing an opportunity to engage sectors of the community that may not necessarily be willing to undergo training or otherwise be formally involved or engaged in citizen science. Given that capturing changes in our natural environment requires many observations spread over time and space, identifying factors and processes that support large-scale citizen science monitoring projects is increasingly critical.
Marine social-ecological systems are influenced by the way humans interact with their environment... more Marine social-ecological systems are influenced by the way humans interact with their environment, and external forces, which change and reshape the environment. In many regions, exploitation of marine resources and climate change are two of the primary drivers shifting the abundance and distribution of marine living resources, with negative effects on marine-dependent communities. Governance systems determine 'who' makes decisions, 'what' are their powers and responsibilities, and 'how' they are exercised. Understanding the connections between the actors comprising governance systems and influences between governance and the environment is therefore critical to support successful transitions to novel forms of governance required to deal with environmental changes. The paper provides an analytical framework with a practical example from Vanuatu, for mapping and assessment of the governance system providing for management of coral reef fish resources. The framework enables a rapid analysis of governance systems to identify factors that can encourage, or hinder, the adaptation of communities to changes in abundance or availability of marine resources.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Climate change is leading to shifts in species geographical distributions, but populations are al... more Climate change is leading to shifts in species geographical distributions, but populations are also probably adapting to environmental change at different rates across their range. Owing to a lack of natural and empirical data on the influence of phenotypic adaptation on range shifts of marine species, we provide a general conceptual model for understanding population responses to climate change that incorporates plasticity and adaptation to environmental change in marine ecosystems. We use this conceptual model to help inform where within the geographical range each mechanism will probably operate most strongly and explore the supporting evidence in species. We then expand the discussion from a single-species perspective to community-level responses and use the conceptual model to visualize and guide research into the important yet poorly understood processes of plasticity and adaptation. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to ra...
A major diculty confronting the determination of cephalopod reproductive life history is assessin... more A major diculty confronting the determination of cephalopod reproductive life history is assessing over what portion of the life span an individual is reproductively mature and actively depositing eggs. This paper assesses the potential of the tropical Sepioteuthis lessoniana and two genetic types of the temperate Sepioteuthis australis, to spawn multiple batches of eggs at discrete times throughout the adult life span. This is achieved by histological examination of the ovarian gametogenic cycle and detailed morphological assessments of the reproductive system, in conjunction with other biological information. The genetic type of S. australis found at the northern limits of its Australian distribution showed evidence of a high correlation between body size and quantity of mature eggs, suggesting that eggs may be accumulating to be laid in a single batch. Although maturation was also a sizerelated process in S. lessoniana and Tasmanian S. australis, oviduct size was not correlated with body weight in mature females, which is indicative of multiple spawning. Further supporting evidence includes relatively low gonadosomatic indices, the heavier weight of the ovary relative to the oviduct, and the feeding activity of mature animals. Mature S. lessoniana and S. australis individuals were present at each location over very wide age and size ranges. In Tasmanian waters, there were distinct seasonal dierences in the reproductive biology of S. australis. Summer-caught individuals had much higher gonadosomatic indices and may have been laying larger batches of eggs compared with winter-caught individuals. Summer-caught females also showed a negative correlation between egg size and egg number within the oviduct, suggesting that some individuals were producing fewer, larger eggs and others many smaller eggs. Evidence suggests that considerable¯exibility is inherent in the reproductive strategy of both S. lessoniana and S. australis.
Redmap was developed to involve, educate and inspire the Australian community. It promotes awaren... more Redmap was developed to involve, educate and inspire the Australian community. It promotes awareness and stimulates interest in Australian marine environment through engagement. Community members are invited to report information on how marine species are moving in Australian waters. This information is crucial for understanding patterns of species movement that may result from environmental changes (such as climate change)but is often impossible to collect at the large scale which makes the data useful. The project also acts as an important warning system for new species being reported to an area they have not been found in before. The key is providing a way that the community can unite and collect this information, and the catch is finding an effective means to do this….
Largely as a function of the interdisciplinary nature of the research, this report represents a m... more Largely as a function of the interdisciplinary nature of the research, this report represents a major contribution from all authors; the order of co-authors given here is alphabetical.
East coast, Tasmania -an assessment of climate change impacts on east coast rock lobster producti... more East coast, Tasmania -an assessment of climate change impacts on east coast rock lobster productivity, interactions with fisheries management and flow-on effects to local communities
Waters in south-eastern Australia are responsible for 50% of Australia’s fisheries production, ho... more Waters in south-eastern Australia are responsible for 50% of Australia’s fisheries production, host a high level of endemic species and offer no land mass further south for species that find themselves in unable to cope with increasing water temperature. Several dozen species from a range of taxa have exhibited major climate related distributional shifts in recent decades, and there have been significant climate-related changes in key fisheries. Consequently, the south east region of Australia, particularly within the East Australian Current (EAC) system found along the eastern seaboard, has been the focus of much research effort over recent years. This research effort has been, and continues to be, relevant at State, Regional and National levels with the diversity of issues examined reflected in the 27 presentations delivered at the ‘Meeting of primary investigator's working on marine climate change projects within the eastern seaboard of south- east Australia’ on November 4th, 2011. The purpose of this meeting report is to provide an informal document that summarises much of the research activity currently occuring within the southeast region of Australia, and provide the contact details of key researchers, to facilitate better networking and communication between relevant researchers working in the region. Additionally, it was considered a priority to document the outcomes of the discussions held on the day. Discussion topics included ‘synergies with regard to data requirements – project needs and wants’ and issues around ‘engagement, communication and extension’. Many participants felt that there was a miss-match between the spatial resolution of models and oceanographic data that was more readily available (better off-shore) and that which was required for many biological projects (most of which are concentrated closer to the coast). Many projects also require social and economic data although most of these projects were at initial stages and it was unclear to what extent projects could collaborate in the sourcing or production of suitable data. Several participants noted that many current projects in the south-east, particularly those working in the adaptation area, involved participatory approaches (e.g. workshops and surveys with industry). With this in mind, and considering that adaptation options when/if implemented require the support of industry and community, ongoing community and industry engagement is essential. Support for the development of extension networks and stronger collaborations and communication between researchers and extension officers was identified as a need and incorporating financial support for extension officers in research grant budgets was considered an option. Given this meeting brought together over 40 researchers working on marine climate change within the south-east, it presented a unique opportunity to conduct a ‘gaps analysis’ of the National Adapation Research Plan for Marine Biodiversity and Resources. The second two discussion items, ‘Identifying critical gaps and opportunities that deserve additional attention’ and ‘Potential for future collaboration’ related directly to this gaps analysis. Improving monitoring capacity in the south-east was identified as critically important. This included establishing priorities for monitoring in a cost effective program and extension into social and economic domains, and better coordination of existing monitoring already being conducted. Long term datasets will be of key importance for addressing issues of attribution, validating the projection models presently being developed and in determining our success in decades to come in terms of developing and implementing adaptation options in the south-east region of Australia. If participants at this meeting now have a greater awareness of each other’s projects and will consider synergies and future opportunities to address the challenges presented by climate change, then this workshop will have been valuable. Future meetings of a similar style may be convened in future.
Australia and India have coastal marine waters warming at a rate faster than 90% of the world’s o... more Australia and India have coastal marine waters warming at a rate faster than 90% of the world’s oceans. Both countries have extensive coastlines and marine jurisdictions with the majority of the population living adjacent to the coast (Box 1). Marine industries play important roles in sustaining the livelihoods of people in coastal rural towns. Increasing food production, minimising carbon emissions and prioritising carbon sequestration opportunities are key issues facing both countries and form the basis of this research plan. In addressing these issues India and Australia are well placed to become leaders in the development of adaptation options, and pioneers of transformational industries.
Citizen Science for Coastal and Marine Conservation, 2017
Referencing historical breakdowns in communication between scientists and marine stakeholders, as... more Referencing historical breakdowns in communication between scientists and marine stakeholders, as well as within terrestrial citizen science programs, this chapter firstly emphasises that marine and coastal citizen science may only be a sustainable endevour if scientists and project leaders are able to engage in trust-building relationships with citizen science participants. We focus on examples from two citizen science projects to highlight how such trust-building communications can be designed and delivered. We also highlight common barriers to establishing the kind of high-quality communication required. We suggest the beginnings of best communications practice for the field, but note that this practice has to be further developed and publicized if communication failures are to continue to be avoided in marine and coastal citizen science.
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Papers by Gretta Pecl
The purpose of this meeting report is to provide an informal document that summarises much of the research activity currently occuring within the southeast region of Australia, and provide the contact details of key researchers, to facilitate better networking and communication between relevant researchers working in the region. Additionally, it was considered a priority to document the outcomes of the discussions held on the day.
Discussion topics included ‘synergies with regard to data requirements – project needs and wants’ and issues around ‘engagement, communication and extension’. Many participants felt that there was a miss-match between the spatial resolution of models and oceanographic data that was more readily available (better off-shore) and that which was required for many biological projects (most of which are concentrated closer to the coast). Many projects also require social and economic data although most of these projects were at initial stages and it was unclear to what extent projects could collaborate in the sourcing or production of suitable data.
Several participants noted that many current projects in the south-east, particularly those working in the adaptation area, involved participatory approaches (e.g. workshops and surveys with industry). With this in mind, and considering that adaptation options when/if implemented require the support of industry and community, ongoing community and industry engagement is essential. Support for the development of extension networks and stronger collaborations and communication between researchers and extension officers was identified as a need and incorporating financial support for extension officers in research grant budgets was considered an option.
Given this meeting brought together over 40 researchers working on marine climate change within the south-east, it presented a unique opportunity to conduct a ‘gaps analysis’ of the National Adapation Research Plan for Marine Biodiversity and Resources. The second two discussion items, ‘Identifying critical gaps and opportunities that deserve additional attention’ and ‘Potential for future collaboration’ related directly to this gaps analysis.
Improving monitoring capacity in the south-east was identified as critically important. This included establishing priorities for monitoring in a cost effective program and extension into social and economic domains, and better coordination of existing monitoring already being conducted. Long term datasets will be of key importance for addressing issues of attribution, validating the projection models presently being developed and in determining our success in decades to come in terms of developing and implementing adaptation options in the south-east region of Australia.
If participants at this meeting now have a greater awareness of each other’s projects and will consider synergies and future opportunities to address the challenges presented by climate change, then this workshop will have been valuable. Future meetings of a similar style may be convened in future.
Marine industries play important roles in sustaining the livelihoods of people in coastal rural towns. Increasing food production, minimising carbon emissions and prioritising carbon sequestration opportunities are key issues facing both countries and form the basis of this research plan.
In addressing these issues India and Australia are well placed to become leaders in the development of adaptation options, and pioneers of transformational industries.