Léo Ramos Chaves / Pesquisa FAPESPThe polar bear, one of the species whose population is decliningLéo Ramos Chaves / Pesquisa FAPESP
A 33-year study of 12,794 animals from 111 marine species has shown that the United Nations (UN) targets for marine vertebrate conservation may be insufficient and require improvements. The survey showed a 70% decline in the populations of polar bears, penguins, seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins, turtles, seabirds, sharks, rays, and other species that produce few offspring at a time. “More forms of ocean management are needed to reduce the exposure of marine megafauna to existing threats,” argues oceanologist Mônica Muelbert of the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), coauthor of the study. For marine animals that weigh more than 45 kilograms (kg), the main risks are industrial fishing, maritime traffic, habitat loss, changes in ocean currents, and changes in food sources. One of the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, signed at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal, Canada, in 2022, establishes that at least 30% of inland, coastal, and marine water areas must be effectively conserved by 2030 (Science, June 5).
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