Frontiers in Conservation Science | New and Recent Articles

IntroductionHuman activities are significantly altering the marine soundscape. Seismic exploration generates high-intensity sounds that propagate over large spatial and temporal scales and can adversely affect cetaceans, which rely on sound for communication, foraging, navigation, and survival.MethodsThis study investigates the acoustic responses of pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuat…

Mental health and psychosocial impacts of climate change – including increased PTSD, depression, and anxiety – are increasingly recognized as a critical impact of the climate crisis. Although the climate crisis is a global phenomenon affecting millions, existing literature predominantly captures individual psychopathological impacts. To date, here is limited understanding of the collective nature…

Wading bird populations are a useful tool for monitoring the function of wetlands, which are increasingly under threat throughout the world. The Indian River Lagoon on Florida’s Atlantic coast, a diverse ecosystem supporting numerous threatened and endangered species of plants and animals, is under stress due to expanding human population and sea level rise. Wading bird nest counts and density in…

The accelerating decline of coral reefs has stimulated restoration strategies that extend beyond the coral host to its symbiotic partners. Reef-building corals are holobionts whose resilience depends on interactions among the host, photosynthetic algae of the Symbiodiniaceae family, and diverse microbial communities. Experimental studies show that thermotolerant algal strains and beneficial micro…

To prevent species extinctions, targeted action must focus on areas of threatened biodiversity facing intense human pressures. This objective is even more important in the run-up to 2030, the target date to conserve 30% of lands and waters globally. Conservation Imperatives (unprotected terrestrial sites that harbor rare, range-restricted, and threatened species) are critical to preventing immine…

Conservation science has made extraordinary progress in documenting the ecological systems we are losing. It has made far less progress in understanding the human affective systems that determine whether those ecological systems will be protected, restored, and sustainably governed over time. This paper introduces Eco-Affective Health as a theoretical framework and proposes six testable hypothese…

The Baniwa Indigenous people of the upper Rio Negro refer to otters as “Shamans of the Water,” recognizing them as guardians of fish populations. During the mid-20th century, however, intensive hunting for the global fur trade drove otters to near local extinction. Since international wildlife trade bans in the 1970s, otter populations have rebounded, prompting renewed Baniwa reflections on their…

IntroductionThe establishment of strict conservation areas often creates friction between management objectives and the traditional livelihoods of local communities. This study evaluates how restrictions on the traditional use of natural resources have shaped the perceptions and involvement of local communities in the participatory management of Limpopo National Park (LNP) in Mozambique.MethodsTh…

Understanding the behavioral response of estuarine fishes to environmental contaminants is critical for assessing the ecological consequences of disturbances. Here, we examined geographic variation in avoidance behavior to petroleum-contaminated sediments in the Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis), a sentinel species in northern Gulf of Mexico marshes. Adult fish were collected from four geographic…

Pumas (Puma concolor) are the most widely distributed felid in the Americas, yet their population density, space use, and responses to disturbance remain poorly quantified in Amazonian forests undergoing rapid land-use change. This gap limits evidence-based conservation planning for large carnivores in tropical landscapes where predator–prey dynamics, interspecific competition, and human disturba…

Poaching remains a primary threat to wildlife across Southeast Asia’s protected forests; however conventional ranger patrols face significant challenges detecting and intercepting poaching activity in dense tropical terrain. Tracking dogs offer a potential force multiplier for counter-poaching units, but deployment decisions have until now been made without empirical performance data from operati…

Species reintroductions, an increasingly used measure in conservation, may be imposed, hindered, or conditioned by law. The European bison (Bison bonasus), once extinct in the wild, now lives in several free-ranging populations all stemming from reintroductions. Reintroduction of European bison to Sweden has been proposed and advocated. Zooarchaeological findings indicate that wild European bison…

Collective human trauma refers to the psychological, social, cultural, and emotional harm experienced by a group of people following a shared cataclysmic event and/or chronic distress that shatters societal constructs at multiple levels. In this Perspective, we focus on forced human migration as collective human trauma, exploring the introduction and spread of invasive alien species as a catalyst…

IntroductionThis study examined the socio-ecological setting of the Magombera Nature Reserve, a key wildlife conservation area in Tanzania, by evaluating the endemic Magombera single-horned chameleon (Kinyongia magomberae).MethodsA mixed-methods design was employed, with data gathered from 198 community members in the villages of Katurukila, Magombera and Kanyenja using descriptive statistics, ch…

While unsustainable human exploitation endangers many mammals around the world, some large native or introduced herbivores can reach high abundances and stress ecosystems, particularly in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. In the United States, high deer populations can negatively impact environmental and human health but reducing populations through lethal management often faces …

Bird-aircraft collisions, or bird strikes, are a costly incident for the aviation industry. Bird strikes occur most often at low altitudes, which means that the airfield itself is an area of high risk for strikes to occur. Flocking and perching passerines like red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta) are territorial during the breeding season, and t…

IntroductionSeagrass meadows worldwide are in decline due to cumulative stressors that degrade water quality and habitat conditions, exacerbated by ongoing climate change, prompting increasing interest in restoration as a management response.MethodsHere, we interwove Indigenous knowledge, habitat suitability modelling, and a field‑based restoration trial to evaluate the feasibility of restoring N…

The increasing impact of humans on natural habitats leads to an increase in human–wildlife conflict (HWC), especially when there is competition for shared resources. In freshwater systems such as Lake Nasser, Egypt, co-occurrence of local communities consisting exclusively of fishermen with Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) poses critical challenges for both livelihoods and biodiversity cons…

IntroductionThe eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) is a pygmy rattlesnake at risk of extinction in North America. Conservation breeding and reintroduction efforts have been established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to safeguard the species, but a comprehensive mortality study has not yet been completed that could lead to enhanced conservation efforts from better…