Sea turtles ‘cold-stunned’ by late migration

Sea turtles ‘cold-stunned’ by late migration

by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed
Researchers pinpoint climate factors that lead to increase in stunning and stranding events The number of cold-stunning and stranding events among juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, one of the world’s most endangered species, is increasing at an “alarming” rate and has moved north from Long Island Sound to Cape Cod Bay, say researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, MassAudubon and the University of Rhode Island. Their recent study looked into what variables are most important in predicting such events, to more effectively help the distressed reptiles.  First author of the new paper in the journal PLOS ONE last week is UMass Amherst conservation biologist Lucas Griffin, a Ph.D. candidate in marine science. As he and colleagues point out, climate change may present the broadest threat among many to sea turtle conservation, but not enough is understood about its potential effects on sea turtle cold-stunning events.  “We know so little about this critically endangered species and it’s really important for us to learn more to bolster their resilience.” —Lucas Griffin With long...
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Former Graduate Student, Amy Teffer, Awarded David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship

by Roxann Cormier Comment Closed
https://conbio.org/publications/scb-news-blog/2019-smith-fellows Amy Teffer will complete a project titled,“The Infectious Disease Ecology of Improved Watershed Connectivity: Reducing Uncertainty in Population Forecasts” under the academic mentorship of Dr. Lisa Komoroske at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and in partnership with Dr. Benjamin Letcher at US Geological Survey....
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Forest conservation shows economic benefits

by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed
Graduate student analyzes contributions forests make to local economies  We may often think about the benefits of forest conservation for wildlife, hiking trails, and the like, but how much do we recognize what forests contribute to the economic life of a region?  Helena Murray, M.S. student in environmental conservation, reckons with this question from an economic angle in her new report: Economic Contributions of Land Conserved by the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program. The report’s examples and implications were discussed on the homepage of the forest service’s website as an innovative approach to evaluating the value of conserving forests.   From Private Forests, Public Benefits:  Privately-owned forests provide water, recreational opportunities, timber and other forest products, as well as habitat for fish and wildlife. However, as forests become fragmented by roads or converted to development, the benefits they provide can be compromised or lost altogether.  Now a new report is asking that we take a closer look at the economic contributions of the privately-owned forests – specifically, forests conserved through the USDA Forest...
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