A new study reveals geographic biases in how aquatic animals have been tracked and researched across the globe, with a preference toward politically stable, English-speaking countries with high conservation funding. Researchers are sounding the alarm in the hopes of ensuring biodiversity hotspots elsewhere in the world are not left understudied.
The study, published in Conservation Science and Practice , analyzed how the global distribution of telemetry research – a method of tagging and tracking animal movements – is uneven. This paper identifies gaps in scientific knowledge of aquatic animal movements in areas that are in urgent need of conservation efforts and fisheries management, including the Baja Peninsula/Sea of Cortez, Northwest Africa, Southeast Africa, the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific. In the face of persistent biodiversity loss, these gaps make it difficult to properly understand and protect endangered species in interconnected ecosystems, from marine mammals to migratory fishes.
"As a scientific community, we must take a step back and recognize the gaps and blind spots in our collective work," said Dr. Steve Kessel, director of marine research at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium and lead author of the study. "Now, we have the opportunity to invest in the corners of our blue planet that truly need it."
Researchers from Chicago's Shedd Aquarium and other collaborating institutions analyzed thousands of acoustic and satellite telemetry peer reviewed publications across four decades of research. They found that 87% of studies were conducted in countries ranked highest for political stability and 95% were in countries ranked highest for conservation funding. Out of 2,728 telemetry studies, more than half were conducted in the U.S., Canada and Australia alone. Meanwhile, the biodiverse Indo-Pacific region accounted for less than 1% of telemetry studies.
Telemetry research, which involves tagging and tracking individual animals using audio signals or satellites, documents the movement of animals in both saltwater and freshwater ecosystems. This new paper examined locations of previous telemetry research and modeled the distribution based on each country's political stability, conservation funding, population size, whether English was the nation's first language and other factors.
The biases uncovered in this study are somewhat expected, according to the paper's authors. Countries that are politically stable and have access to more resources generally invest more money into research on their own natural resources. Conducting local research also makes it easier to acquire permits, import field equipment, ensure the safety of scientists in the field and complete long-term studies without interruption.
To mitigate the challenges of working in logistically difficult regions, researchers emphasize the need for in-country capacity sharing and collaboration with local scientists. These partnerships offer opportunities to exchange scientific skills, bolster availability of scientific equipment and infrastructure, and establish long-lasting sustainable research projects with defined goals.
"Animals are not restricted by the borders of countries or regions, especially through the waters that connect us all," said Dr. Kessel. "Only through global collaboration can we be true advocates for our blue planet and the animals who call it home."
For instance, Shedd Aquarium is working to strengthen capacity in Central America, helping to close critical knowledge gaps about freshwater mussels. Shedd scientists collaborate with in-country partners including conservation organizations, universities, government agencies, and students to ensure that conservation endeavors are done equitably, locally led and built to last. With these global partnerships, Shedd has been designated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) as a Center for Species Survival, one of only a small number of institutions worldwide entrusted with this role to advance biodiversity conservation.
The full findings of this research have been published in Conservation Science and Practice under the title, " Global distribution of aquatic animal telemetry effort reveals geographic biases and opportunities for more inclusive tracking studies ."
