Southwood Prize 2023: Winner announced for early career researcher award

Journal of Applied Ecology is delighted to announce Dominic McAfee as the winner of the 2023 Southwood Prize! The award is given annually to the best article in the journal by an author at the start of their career. This year, Dominic was chosen by the Senior Editors from a strong shortlist of 12 articles.  Winner: Dominic McAfee Research: Soundscape enrichment enhances recruitment and habitat building on new oyster reef … Continue reading Southwood Prize 2023: Winner announced for early career researcher award

Long-term Monitoring: The key to unlocking effective Marine Protected Area Management?

Christopher Honeyman talks us through recently published work which compared three Marine Protected Area (MPA) monitoring techniques, along with colleagues. Interestingly, each technique was shown to survey distinct groundfish community assemblages with varying levels of species diversity and richness. Therefore, combining multiple techniques may better allow managers to create the most comprehensive, effective and inclusive MPA monitoring regimes. A global phenomenon In response to human-caused … Continue reading Long-term Monitoring: The key to unlocking effective Marine Protected Area Management?

Questioning the Evidence: Re-analyzing studies on the impact of mechanical dredging on invertebrate communities and associated bird life in the Dutch Wadden Sea

Eelke Folmer and Jaap van der Meer talk about their recent Forum paper which comments on an earlier research article, and discuss the importance of evidence based decisions in policy. Background In the coming decades, the growth of the global human population will lead to an increase in food demands. This, in turn, is likely to result in a rise in the extraction of marine … Continue reading Questioning the Evidence: Re-analyzing studies on the impact of mechanical dredging on invertebrate communities and associated bird life in the Dutch Wadden Sea

Deqiang Ma: The consequences of coastal offsets for fisheries

Shortlisted for the Southwood Prize 2022 Deqiang Ma talks us through his and colleagues’ research article which uses a case study of mangrove and seagrass habitats in Queensland, Australia to consider different policies regarding offsetting impacts on fish habitats. The issue Globally, ecosystem services are imperiled due to development, especially in coastal and marine areas. To achieve no net loss of ecosystem services through offsetting … Continue reading Deqiang Ma: The consequences of coastal offsets for fisheries

How can soundscapes enhance recruitment and habitat building on new oyster reef restorations?

Author Dominic McAfee talks us through his and colleagues’ recently published research article which experimented with the use of home-made speakers to boost oyster recruitment at sites throughout Australia. We’ve all, at one time or another, used music as a band aid. Perhaps to mend a broken heart, or to help us through challenging times. And in this regard, it seems we are not alone … Continue reading How can soundscapes enhance recruitment and habitat building on new oyster reef restorations?

Lionel Yamb: Saving sharks in Cameroon waters

For Black History Month, the British Ecological Society (BES) journals are celebrating the work of Black ecologists from around the world and sharing their stories. Lionel Yamb, who sits on the BES Equality and Diversity Working Group, shares his story below. My name is Lionel Yamb; I’m an early career marine ecologist working in Cameroon with the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD). I … Continue reading Lionel Yamb: Saving sharks in Cameroon waters

A new approach for understanding the role of human-made structures in the North Sea

Hannah Tidbury and colleagues at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science recently used social network analysis to aid marine spatial planning. Here Hannah explains a little more about the approach behind their work and what it means for oil and gas infrastructure. Connectivity between communities of organisms that live within marine environment is important because isolated communities are more vulnerable to extinction. Therefore, … Continue reading A new approach for understanding the role of human-made structures in the North Sea

Identifying hotspots of threats to marine megafauna

In newly published research, A framework for mapping the distribution of seabirds by integrating tracking, demography and phenology, Ana P. B. Carneiro et al. present a new framework aiming to tackle challenges of tracking seabird movement and ultimately improve bycatch mitigation measures. There is increased global awareness that our oceans are under threat. Marine megafauna such as seabirds, marine turtles, marine mammals, sharks and rays … Continue reading Identifying hotspots of threats to marine megafauna

Why ecology matters

This week, the British Ecological Society are attending New Scientist Live to showcase Incredible Creatures and bring ecological research to a wider audience. Focused across four zones; jungle, water, nocturnal, and people and nature, we’re excited to share the value of ecology in tackling the biggest challenges faced by our natural world. To celebrate this, we’ve brought together Why Ecology Matters; a selection of articles … Continue reading Why ecology matters

Does harvest dampen or amplify the effects of climate change on natural populations?

Gamelon et al. aim to answer this question in their recently published Commentary. The harvest-interaction hypothesis Natural populations in marine to terrestrial ecosystems are experiencing a climate that is rapidly changing. These changes can induce marked fluctuations in population size over years and lead to higher extinction risk. In addition to human-induced changes in climate, many natural populations are affected by harvest, with removal of … Continue reading Does harvest dampen or amplify the effects of climate change on natural populations?