News Round-up | Nairobi Convention Secretariat

Welcome, Nairobi Convention Member States, partners, and friends, to this installment of the Weekly News Round-up! Please keep reading to find out what’s new in efforts to protect, conserve and develop the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region.

We look forward to continuing our work with you to create a prosperous WIO region with healthy rivers, coasts, and oceans.

Do you have an event or story you’d like included in the weekly round-up? Write [email protected] to be featured next week!

News

Seychelles hits 30% marine protection target after pioneering debt restructuring deal

Close to a third of Seychelles’ ocean will be guarded from climate change and unregulated economic exploitation with the new Marine Protected Areas announced on March 26, 2020.

The wonder trees that nurture marine biodiversity

This 2020 theme for the International Day of Forests is ‘Forests and Biodiversity’. It’s an often-quoted fact that forests are home to 80 per cent of terrestrial biodiversity, but did you know that one type of tree also supports marine biodiversity — the mangrove?

Impacts of ocean warming on kelp forest ecosystems

This study argues that ocean warming poses an unequivocal threat to the persistence and integrity of kelp forest ecosystems in coming decades. The broader implications of climate‐driven shifts and losses of kelp forest ecosystems are far‐reaching.

Islands’ rare wildlife and endangered birds under threat from overfishing

This study underlines the role oceanic islands play in providing safe nesting grounds for rarest seabirds and marine mammals. The rare species are under threat from overfishing, which is depleting their feeding grounds, and invasive species arriving from the African mainland.

Why marine protected areas are often not where they should be

This research argues that many parts of the world’s protected areas, in both terrestrial and marine environments, are placed in locations with no form of manageable human activity or development occurring, such as fishing or infrastructure; often remote places , such as in the centres of oceans.

Mangrove conservation can pay for itself in flood protection

The natural coastal defenses provided by mangrove forests reduce annual flooding significantly in critical hotspots around the world. Without mangroves, flood damages would increase by more than $65 billion annually, and 15 million more people would be flooded, according to a new study.

Scientist is saving corals by breeding them in the labs

For some 15 years, biologist Jamie Craggs toyed with the idea of working with coral spawning. But he didn’t turn the thought into action until he had witnessed such an event in person. The experience catalyzed him to dive into the research he’s spearheading.

Coronavirus hits a critical year for nature and the climate

This year’s packed agenda of negotiations on climate change, biodiversity and the global ocean was supposed to address the fortunes of a living world in a critical condition. But the coronavirus pandemic is forcing drastic changes to the schedule.

News

Author: Nairobi Convention

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