Report on Marine Conservation Initiatives and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

H3: Threats to Marine Biodiversity and SDG 14 (Life Below Water)

Current marine ecosystems face significant threats that directly challenge the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

• The Angelshark (Squatina squatina) is classified as a critically endangered species, having suffered severe population declines.
• Primary drivers of this decline are habitat degradation and incidental capture from fishing operations.
• The species’ bottom-dwelling nature makes it highly vulnerable to destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling.
• This situation highlights a critical failure to meet SDG Target 14.2, which calls for the sustainable management and protection of marine ecosystems, and Target 14.4, which aims to end destructive fishing practices. The loss of such species also impacts progress towards SDG 15 (Life on Land), specifically Target 15.5, which aims to halt biodiversity loss and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

H3: The “Dolphin Diet Detective” Project: Advancing SDG 14.a (Scientific Knowledge)

A new research initiative, the “Dolphin Diet Detective” project, has been launched to address these conservation challenges through advanced scientific research, directly contributing to SDG Target 14.a (Increase scientific knowledge and research capacity).

1. Project Mandate: Funded by the Welsh government’s Nature Networks Fund, the project uses innovative, non-invasive methods to study marine ecosystems and inform conservation strategies.
2. Research Methodology:
   • Deployment of underwater cameras to document and reveal the diversity of life on the seabed.
   • Collection of dolphin faecal samples for DNA extraction and analysis.
3. Key Research Outcomes:
   • Identification of dolphin dietary habits at various times and locations.
   • Generation of individual genetic profiles for dolphins to determine sex, family relationships, population size, breeding potential, and movement patterns.
   • Integration of genetic profiles with existing bottlenose dolphin photo-identification records to build a comprehensive dataset.

H3: Collaborative Action and Community Engagement for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

The project’s structure exemplifies a multi-stakeholder approach, which is fundamental to achieving SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• The initiative is a collaborative endeavour uniting government, academia, and the community.
• Key partners include:
  1. The Welsh government (via the Nature Networks Fund).
  2. Aberystwyth University.
  3. Cardiff University.
• This model aligns with SDG Target 17.17, which encourages and promotes effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships to support sustainable development.

H3: Policy Interventions and Contribution to SDG 14.5 (Marine Protected Areas)

The scientific findings from such projects provide the evidence base needed for robust policy interventions aimed at marine protection.

• Research highlights the urgent need to protect fragile seabed habitats from damaging activities like bottom trawling.
• In a direct response to these conservation needs and in pursuit of SDG Target 14.5 (Conserve coastal and marine areas), the UK government has announced a plan to ban bottom trawling.
• This proposed ban is set to be implemented across 41 designated marine protected areas within English waters.
• A formal consultation on these plans is currently active, demonstrating a commitment to policy development based on scientific evidence and public input.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  This goal is central to the article, which focuses on the conservation of marine species like the critically endangered angelshark and bottlenose dolphins. It discusses threats from human activities such as bottom trawling and habitat degradation, and conservation efforts including the establishment of marine protected areas and scientific research to understand and protect marine ecosystems.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article highlights the importance of collaboration to achieve conservation outcomes. The “Dolphin Diet Detective” project is described as a “collaborative endeavour,” specifically mentioning a partnership between the Welsh government (providing funding), Aberystwyth and Cardiff universities (providing scientific expertise), and the community, uniting “science and community for a sustainable future.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems.

     The article directly addresses this target by discussing the need to protect “fragile habitats from damaging activities like bottom trawling.” The UK government’s plan to ban this practice in marine protected areas is a direct action towards protecting marine ecosystems to avoid adverse impacts.

   • Target 14.4: End overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices.

     This target is relevant as the article identifies bottom trawling as a destructive fishing practice that makes angelsharks “vulnerable to being caught in trawl nets.” The UK government’s announced plan to “ban bottom trawling from 41 marine protected areas” is a specific measure aimed at regulating a destructive fishing practice.

   • Target 14.5: Conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas.

     The article mentions the UK government’s plan concerning “41 marine protected areas within English waters.” This action contributes directly to the conservation of marine areas, which is the core objective of this target.

   • Target 14.a: Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology.

     The “Dolphin Diet Detective” project is a clear example of this target in action. It uses “innovative research methods” like underwater cameras and DNA analysis of faecal samples to increase scientific knowledge about dolphin diet, population dynamics, and the broader marine ecosystem. The article states the project’s focus is on “understanding dolphin diet, population dynamics, and interactions with prey species through innovative research methods.”

2. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships.

     The project described is a multi-stakeholder partnership that mobilizes financial resources (from the Welsh government), knowledge, and expertise (from Aberystwyth and Cardiff universities) to support sustainable development goals related to marine conservation.

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.

     The article details a partnership between public entities (Welsh government, universities) and civil society (“actively involve the community”). It is described as a “collaborative endeavour, uniting science and community for a sustainable future,” which directly reflects the spirit of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 14.2 & 14.5:

  An implied indicator is the coverage of protected areas where destructive practices are prohibited. The article provides a specific number: “a plan to ban bottom trawling from 41 marine protected areas,” which can be used to measure progress in protecting marine ecosystems.

• For Target 14.4:

  An indicator is the implementation of regulations to combat destructive fishing practices. The article mentions the UK government is “currently running a consultation on these plans,” indicating a step-by-step process towards policy implementation that can be tracked.

• For Target 14.a:

  The article implies several indicators for measuring increased scientific knowledge and research capacity:

  1. Financial investment in marine research: The project is funded by an “almost quarter-of-a-million-pound grant.”
  2. Application of marine technology: The use of “underwater cameras” and “extracting DNA from dolphin faecal samples” are concrete examples of technology being used for research.
  3. Generation of scientific data: The project aims to reveal “what dolphins are consuming,” “individual profiles for each dolphin,” “population size, breeding potential, and their movement patterns.” This data serves as a direct measure of increased scientific knowledge.

• For Target 17.16 & 17.17:

  A key indicator is the existence and structure of multi-stakeholder partnerships. The article explicitly defines the partnership for the “Dolphin Diet Detective” project, involving the “Welsh government,” “Aberystwyth and Cardiff universities,” and the “community.” The successful funding and operation of this project is an indicator of an effective partnership.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: oceanographicmagazine.com