Conservation Science

Statement from Norse and Crowder 2005 in their tandem edition of Marine Conservation Biology.

"While lawmakers and officials have often accepted 'management' plans to exploit species based on very thin evidence, they often demand scientific 'proof' that human activities are harmful, and, in its absence, allow harmful activities to continue."

They couldn't have been more poignant in describing what is now the norm behind important negotiations involving the state of the marine ecosystem. The conservation is being driven by politics, a rather cynical approach to solving the problem. But there's only so much scientists can do within their capacity. At the end of the day, these scientists still need funding to make their projects and research happen. And while they try to persuade funding agencies to provide the financial backing of their work, lawmakers and officials are hounding around the seas and oceans trying to work out loopholes in science where they can exploit a species or an area and generate profit.

Biodiversity conservation is arguably the most important and critical issue that this generation must work on immediately. There is no time to let the issue settle because so much is at stake. Biodiversity is a complex framework of individuals of species and of species interconnected with other species in several levels, from genetic diversity to ecosystems connected by corridors. We have seen populations and even metapopulations of species get wiped out from the face of this earth because of the current abnormal climatic events. Coral reefs across the tropical belt are bleaching, releasing the important colorful algae out of their calciferous bodies because of a very slight rise in the average water temperature. These systems are that sensitive. On land, a number of megafauna exist in critical numbers, some of which can only be counted by our fingers. There are already those locally extinct in their natural ranges and are now conservation dependent. The extirpation of these animals in their ecological ranges have caused extensive damage to other species who are entirely dependent on those species. This is a typical scenario everywhere. No place on earth now has not been touched or stepped on by humans except the deep sea and the multidimensional space in open waters. But don't think that the ocean is an inexhaustible resource. The devastating path of humans have invaded the deepest parts of the ocean. There is still much to be desired in learning about all of these organisms. Millions according to estimates are still to be discovered but instead, we face a greater demand to prevent the extinction of the source of science. Add to that the difficulty of being the greatest threat to their extinction, ourselves, and the immediate presence of a changing climate. The fledgling science of conservation is the epitome of a multidisciplinary field. The natural sciences of biology, ecology, and even molecular genetics; the earth sciences of geography, climatology, and oceanography; the social sciences of sociology and policy-making; economics and others all contribute to the conservation biology. The youth of science now are called forward to continue the legacy of the movers and shakers of conservation. Particularly those who sounded the bells in the 60's, those who saw where humanity was headed.

Visayan spotted deer, Rusa alfredi

Let's do ourselves a favor and not settle for anything less than what we know we deserve. We will inherit this earth from the previous generation after all. It is just right to take care of what it has, and not of what we think we want.